The Party
by flooj9235
Summary: Written in first person. KotOR1. To relieve some stress, the crew decides to have a party. No one expects someone to spike the drinks. What happens when a drunk Bastila wants to talk with Kat? Femslash, FRevan/Bastila. UPDATED AND SMUTTY VERSION ON AO3.
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: Well, this was a completely random idea I had a while back. I was only experimenting writing in the present tense, really, but then I just kept writing and writing... And this story has kinda grown to be my baby. =] So, I figured I'd let y'all read it and see what you think.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything except the original storyline.

I know, this isn't going to have the characters as canon. But that's no reason for anyone to jump on my back. Creative writing is just that: creative. I believe that I, as the writer, am allowed to take liberties. So don't flame me over that.

Reviews are welcome, but be forewarned that I don't appreciate flames. You flame me, you'll be on my bad side quicker than you can say "archipelago." Other than that, enjoy the story. =]

* * *

I walk into the commons area, glancing around at my friends. Why we're having a party, I don't know, but it's fine with me. I personally feel like we all need to relax a little. This mission the Jedi Council sent us on is definitely stressing me out; I can only imagine what it's doing to my crewmates.

I do a double take as I realize Mission and Zaalbar are both either very soundly asleep or passed out at the table. Carth and Canderous are talking and laughing like old war buddies, something completely opposite reality. Jolee is standing with them, a grin on his face as he listens to their stories. Juhani is standing near them, looking around quietly as she drinks some punch.

That leaves one crew member unaccounted for. My eyes search the room, immediately finding her. Bastila. The woman I've loved ever since I met her, despite her distant, sometimes frosty attitude. She's standing alone near a small array of hors d'oeuvres and a bowl of punch, sipping said punch from a small glass. Her gaze is on the floor, a soft frown creasing her forehead.

I immediately walk over to her, getting myself a glass of punch to alert her to the fact that I'm here, though I'm sure she already knows. I turn to her, studying her expression. Something seems off, but I'm not sure what. I take a sip of the punch while I think, nearly choking on it.

I stare down at the innocent looking beverage in my hand, realizing that it's more than just a fruity drink. I've had my share of drinks in my life; I know enough to tell when something's spiked with liquor. I wheel and march toward Canderous, furious all of sudden. He's the only one with enough nerve to spike anything. Besides that, Mission and Zaalbar are passed out! Apparently, Canderous doesn't realize alcohol isn't meant for kids or Wookiees.

I'm about to yell bloody murder at him for intoxicating everyone when I feel a hand close around mine. I immediately stop and turn to see Bastila gripping my hand, staring at me urgently. I see now why I thought something was different about her; she's wasted. I'm amazed that she's still on her feet until I remember that she's a Jedi. I guess sometimes it's okay to be a little less easily overcome than most other people.

Her beautiful gray eyes bore into mine, the childlike innocence of her expression making my mind go blank of all that I was about to say to Canderous. I'm captivated by her all over again. She's too beautiful for words.

"Kat," she whispers, looking as though she's struggling to get my name right. "I want to talk."

I nod, squeezing her hand gently and leading her out of the commons area, figuring that whatever Bastila has to say is something that she doesn't want everyone else hearing.

We end up standing in the middle of the women's dorm, still holding hands. I call her name quietly; she's staring at the floor again, looking as though she's sorting through a lot of confusion. Bastila's gaze snaps up and focuses on my face. There it is again, that innocence on her face. I can tell she's never been drunk before, let alone have a drink. Damn those sheltered Jedi lives.

"What do you wanna talk about?" I ask softly, amazed at the strength of my willpower; it's taking all I've got to keep myself from throwing myself on her and kissing her.

"You're really pretty," Bastila mumbles, the tips of her ears turning red. A smile creeps across her face before she continues talking. Not that it matters to me that she's smiling; I'm speechless.

"The Jedi are dumb," she says, looking away. "'No falling in love.' I couldn't help it." She starts mumbling then, and try as I might, I can't understand her. Thankfully, she seems to realize that she's mumbling a moment later and looks up at me again. "Kat, don't die. I'm scared you're going to die."

I shake my head. "I'm not going to, Bastila. Don't worry." She seems like a lost little child, scared and confused. I feel tears well up in my eyes, my heart going out to Bastila. I almost feel as though I'm violating her privacy; she's so vulnerable and she's saying what's really on her mind, something I'm sure she'd never do if she was sober.

"Come on," I hear myself saying. "Let's put you to bed." I gently guide her toward her bunk, glad that she doesn't put up a fight. She doesn't make much of a move to lay down, though. She just sits there on the edge of her bunk, holding my hand as if it's her only lifeline.

I kneel before her, staring into her glassy gray eyes once again. The bunk is low enough that I'm right at eye level with her, and for a moment I think about how wonderful it would be to stare into those eyes forever. "Bastila…" I begin, my voice trailing off into nothing.

She shakes her head, her brow furrowing as she tries to concentrate on forming words. "Kat, I don't like the Jedi beliefs," she mumbles with a little difficulty. "I don't like hiding what I'm feeling because they say it's wrong."

I gaze at her for a long moment, my heart aching with curiosity as I wonder if she's just talking nonsense. I take her free hand, the one that isn't clasped around mine, and hold it gently in mine. "What are you feeling that's so wrong?"

"I…" She pauses, looking as though she's waging an inner battle. I hazard a guess that she's battling with her Jedi-minded superego.

I already feel bad for asking my question; I know I'd better just stop and let her sleep. Following that train of thought, I pretend that I never asked the question. "Come on, Bas. Lay down." I try to ease her back onto her bed, but she stiffens and shakes her head, gripping my hands tighter.

"No." A single, firm syllable. Her eyes take on the resolve of a resolute war general. "Kat, listen." She hesitates, and in her expression, I see her break free of her Jedi teachings. "I love you," she whispers, watching me earnestly.

I feel my face go blank. That's not what I'd been expecting. Even stranger than the admission itself, I see nothing but honesty in her eyes. She actually means it.

"Ever since Taris," she continues, stumbling over her words. Her gaze is still locked on my face, watching my every reaction. "I felt like I had to hide it. But I can't anymore, Kat." A nervous smile flickers across her face. "I love you."

The next thing I know, her lips are against mine, kissing me softly with more passion and love than could fill this entire sector of space. I moan softly against her, dropping her hands and wrapping my arms around her neck. I've dreamed of this moment for what seems like forever.

I'm suddenly too caught up in kissing her to do much of anything else, and she seems to know it. Her lips still on mine, she pulls me up onto the bed beside her, her arms snaking around me, pulling me closer. Her kisses trail down my neck, but once I moan her name, she returns her lips to mine.

Her fingers deftly rid me of my tunic and before I even realize I'm naked, she's got me in her arms again, kissing and caressing me. Very soon, she's naked, too.

Soft moans and whimpers fill my ears and it takes me a little while to realize they're my own. I didn't even know Bastila knew how to do any of what she's doing to me. Not that I mind, of course. I'm in heaven, lying in her arms as she touches me, this woman I love more dearly than anything else in the entire universe.

I cry out her name when she takes me to my climax.

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

After what seems like too short a time, she's lying cuddled in my arms, her head on my chest. Her skin feels so soft and warm against mine that I have no trouble relaxing and snuggling closer to her.

I know what we've just done is wrong, especially since we're Jedi. Even worse, I know that I, being the sober one, shouldn't have let it get out of hand. Bastila hadn't been herself. Had she been herself, she wouldn't have ever even dreamed of doing any of what we'd just done.

I look down at her, despairing that this is the only night I'll ever have with the woman I love. She's sleeping in my arms, seemingly dead to the world. Her face is angelically peaceful, a small smile still on her face. I have a nagging feeling that when she wakes up in the morning, she won't remember anything.

My heart sinks a little. I wish desperately that she'd remember this night for the rest of her life. I know I will. With that thought hanging in the forefront of my mind, I hug her gently, tears filling my eyes. I should leave before I fall asleep.

Just as I start to detangle myself from Bastila, her arms tighten around me ever so slightly. I stop immediately, realizing that she can probably subconsciously sense my intentions, even though she's asleep. My heart drops when I realize that she doesn't want me to leave.

But I know I must. I kiss her forehead gently, using the Force to put her into a deep sleep and numb her to the hangover-induced headache I know she'll have in the morning. Immediately, her arms go slack around me. I slip out of her embrace and her bed, redressing myself quickly.

I make sure that she's covered by the bedcovers, just in case anyone comes in before she wakes and sees that she's naked. Planting one last kiss on her cheek, I walk out of the room. I already know I won't sleep at all tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm determined not to let it show on my face that something happened last night. I busy myself with helping Mission deal with her hangover, not looking up when Bastila enters the room.

I have a nagging feeling she's standing there watching my every move, waiting for a moment to jump in and tell me I'm 'doing that wrong.' I instead pay careful attention to what I'm doing, being meticulously clean when I inject Mission with a shot of painkillers to help her headache.

I draw out the cleaning of the area on Mission's arm as long as I can, finally resigning myself to face Bastila. I get up and turn around.

Bastila's expression is her usual one of discontentment and condescension. There's no sign on her face that she remembers anything.

Before I know what's happening, tears are streaming down my cheeks. I dart out of the room, brushing past Bastila as I run to the cargo bay. I make sure to lock the door behind me, sinking to the floor and bursting into tears. I guess part of me had hoped that Bastila would remember everything. Hell, my whole being had hoped she'd remember.

I hear a knocking on the door, silencing my crying and wrapping my arms around my chest. My heart feels like it might fall out and shatter if I don't hold it in.

"Kat?" Bastila calls, her voice sharp and strangely uncertain. "Are you all right? … May I come in?"

"Go away," I manage from my spot on the floor. For one ridiculous moment, I wonder how pitiful I look, curled up on the floor of the cargo bay. I hear Bastila sigh exasperatedly. I want so badly to yell at her and tell her that she's breaking my heart, that last night was the best night of my life, and that I love her to no end.

"Kat--" Bastila begins, stopping herself a second later. She sounds frustrated. I wonder why there's an edge to her voice that hadn't been there before. "If you don't open the door, I'm going to get T3-M4. He'll open it for me." She sounds calmer this time.

I wrestle with my heart for a few seconds before I decide to let her in. I climb to my feet, tapping a few keys on the keypad reluctantly. The door hisses open a second later.

Bastila looks surprised as she steps in, as though she hadn't expected me to open the door. She hesitates, glancing over her shoulder uneasily. She turns to look at me, her eyes narrowing when she sees that I've been bawling my eyes out. "What's wr--"

"Nothing," I reply immediately, wiping my eyes on my sleeve.

Bastila doesn't look convinced, but drops her gaze to the floor. "Kat, I… um… What did you dream about last night?"

I raise an eyebrow at her, confused. "Nothing," I answer honestly. "I didn't ever get to sleep."

A frown creases Bastila's forehead. "I just wondered because I had a, um, strange dream… I wondered if we might have shared it," she stammers. She looks up at me uneasily. "You didn't see any of it, did you?"

I shake my head, my shoulders heaving with a suppressed sob. I don't remember having any flashes of a strange dream in my mind last night. I trace the gentle planes of her face with my eyes, my mind going back to last night. Tears well up in my eyes again; I'm positive now that I'll never ever have another night in my life so wonderful and full of love. Bastila would have already brought it up if she'd remembered.

Bastila notices my tears immediately. "What's wrong?" she asks again, sounding genuinely concerned. She steps toward me, making to reach for me.

I step out of her reach, not wanting her to touch me.

Bastila looks disheartened at my escape, brushing it off a moment later. She sighs, and when she speaks again, she sounds more businesslike, just like normal. "Why were you giving Mission an injection?"

"She had a headache. Canderous spiked the punch at the party last night, and everyone got drunk. Mission woke up with a hangover, so I gave her the drugs." I wipe my eyes, my gaze dropping to the floor. I don't think I've ever felt more miserable.

"Canderous spiked the punch?" Bastila repeats faintly. "Then that means…" Her voice trails off and after a moment, she gasps.

I look up to find her pale and swaying a little on her feet. Her eyes are wide with shock, realization, and surprise. My heart skips a beat in my chest. Could she be remembering…?

She sways forward, and I step up and catch her, holding her to me so she doesn't fall. My heart is pounding now.

Bastila leans away far enough to see my face. An oddly confused, yet all at once hopeful expression is on her face. "I woke up naked," she whispers, a soft blush deepening the color in her cheeks. "And in my dream, we… you and I…" She studies the expression on my face for a moment, paling. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" she asks softly, her voice so quiet I can hardly hear it over the noises of the ship.

I shake my head, looking into those beautiful gray eyes, watching the emotions swirl in them. Never before have I seen so many emotions on her face. It's almost dizzying to watch.

I see her struggling to hold onto her Jedi teachings, waiting for the rebuke I know is coming.

"It was a moment of weakness," she sputters finally, though it doesn't sound as though she agrees with herself. "A moment of unbridled passion."

I nod, only agreeing with the second half of her statement.

She opens her mouth to continue. "It was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened, especially between us!"

"It was the best damn night of my entire life, Bastila," I whisper, cutting her off before she can say any more. Her face goes blank, her jaw slackens, and her eyebrows raise ever so slightly.

I look away. My heart is aching now. She didn't want it to happen. It was just the alcohol that had made it possible. I'm actually feeling physical pain, standing here holding her and being close to her. I make to release her, surprised that her hands catch my arms before I can move.

I frown, tears burning in my eyes again. I wish I could just stop crying.

"Kat," she whispers, waiting for me to look at her. I do. Her expression is intense and covered by a shadow of what I'm sure I'm mistaking as hope. "Why didn't you stop me?"

"Should I have?" I retort. I don't give her a chance to answer me. "I didn't want to."

"Why?" she prods, her eyes locked with mine.

I hesitate, wondering if she'll rat me out to the Council and get commended for her honesty or something else equally ridiculous. "Because I love you," I blurt before I even decide to speak. My heart skips a beat and my blood freezes in my veins. _Oops. _I have to get out of here now.

I tear myself out of her arms and run. I just follow my feet, because I know they'll take me to a safe place. Sure enough, I end up in the engine room. No one but Canderous and T3 ever come in here. It's either too loud, too smelly, or just plain not where anyone wants to be.

Hoping Bastila won't follow me, I sink down against the wall and cry.

* * *

This was a weird chapter for me; I couldn't decide where to go from here. Let me know what you're thinking so far!


	3. Chapter 3

When I emerge a few hours later, feeling very empty, I head to the commons area. I don't care if Bastila's there. I need to think about other things, and I know it. My heart is disagreeing with my logic already, but I'm hoping that the pain will just go away.

I snort and turn my mind away from Bastila. My first thought is to check on Mission and see if she's feeling better.

As I step into the commons, I notice Mission playing cards with Carth, Zaalbar, and Jolee. Bastila isn't anywhere in sight. Both relief and despair claw at my insides, though I push them away and head toward the card game.

"How ya doin', Mish?" I'm surprised my voice sounds normal as I sit down to join the game.

"Better," she replies, grinning and laying down a hand of cards, causing the rest of her companions to groan and grumble. "Thanks."

"Oh, hey, Kat," Carth says, a thought occurring to him. "Bastila was looking for you earlier. It was weird. She seemed really stressed." He looks up at me thoughtfully as Mission deals a new hand. "I think you should go talk to her."

I pick up my hand of cards and hesitate, but not for too long. I can sense distress through my bond with Bastila. "Where is she?"

Carth merely points toward the cockpit, picking up his new hand of cards.

"Fold," I say quickly, laying down the cards I haven't even looked at yet and getting to my feet. I nod my thanks to Carth, knowing that he doesn't see it; he's focused on his hand.

A frustrated growl from Zaalbar that's followed by laughter fills my ears as I head up the hallway toward the cockpit. My mind is racing as I think about what I'm going to say to her. I stop in the doorway, watching silently as she makes a few corrections to our route.

Only when I walk into the room and clear my throat does she acknowledge my presence. She turns in her seat to look at me, and I'm surprised to see that she's been crying, too. Guilt wells up in my chest immediately. I know I'm the cause of her heartache.

Almost faster than I can blink, Bastila lunges out of her chair toward me, her lips crushing against mine. All the thoughts and emotions that I had been feeling vanish. The only things that remain in my mind are shock, disbelief, and love. I feel her press me up against the wall, not caring. Bastila's kissing me; what else matters?

"Kat," she murmurs, tearing her mouth from mine to gasp for breath. "Did I tell you that I love you last night?"

I nod, melting in her embrace. She's not drunk this time. This is all her, no outside influence.

"I love you," she says anyway, capturing my mouth in a kiss again.

When she finally releases me, I'm lightheaded. I can't believe this is happening, and I'm sure she's about to smack me and tell me how stupid I was to believe her at all.

I'm about to sink to the floor and melt into a puddle of insanely happy goo when she catches my hand, her grip bringing me back to reality. I look at her carefully, a smile growing on my face to match hers. She pulls me into her arms, wrapping them around me tightly.

I look into her eyes, amazed to see them bright and shining like they've never been before. "Bastila--"

"Shh," she whispers. "Don't. You'll ruin it." Another mischievous smile is shot my way before she kisses me again.

I don't think my heart's ever been filled with so much happiness. I feel like I might explode from all the joy within me.

Somewhere in my mind, I know I should breathe, but I can't make myself tear away from her. She's so much more important…

Finally, Bastila pulls her lips from mine, flashing me a perfect, breathless smile.

I pull her closer to me, beginning to cry tears of joy into her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Bastila asks softly, her voice anxious.

"Nothing." I curl my fingers into the back of her tunic, holding her close. "Absolutely nothing."

Bastila kisses away my tears, rocking me gently. She's silent for a long time, holding me and simply enjoying being with me, I guess. "I dreamed of this," she murmurs. "But I never even thought it was possible. I didn't know that you felt the same way I've felt for ages."

I look up at her, into her beautiful gray eyes. I can see that she's let go of something, but I'm not sure what. In my brief pause to try and understand what she's talking about, she goes ahead and continues speaking.

"Ever since I laid eyes on you, Kat, it was all I could do not to just fall down on my knees and confess my love." An adorable blush creeps across her cheeks as she speaks, bringing a smile to my lips. "I had to... I had to put up an act to hide my feelings; that's why I was so taciturn and unkind. I'm sorry for my behavior."

I shake my head at her words, my smile widening. "No, Bas, listen. I didn't know, you didn't know, so there's no reason for me to blame you for not acting like a lovesick kath pup."

For a brief moment, indignation flashes across Bastila's face. The next moment, she laughs, leaning forward and resting her forehead against mine. "I love you," she whispers, kissing me lightly.

"I--"

A sudden explosion outside the ship throws us to the floor. I feel my head slam into the floor and something rip my forehead open. Bastila makes a soft gasp and falls silent somewhere in front of me; I can't see because of blood in my eyes.

"Bastila?!" I yelp, feeling for her in front of me. I can barely hear the clamoring of footsteps coming up the hallway. I close my fingers around Bastila's wrist, holding onto her tightly. My fingers immediately go to finding her pulse; she's limp. My hands are shaking too much to find her pulse, so I begin to frantically wipe blood out of my eyes, saying her name over and over, hoping that she'll wake. She can't be dead, can she?

When I finally clear up some of my vision, it immediately fills back up with blood, much to my malign. "Bastila! Wake up!"

Her soft moan fills my heart with relief, sending me into a panic all over again when I recognize the agony in the sound. "Carth!" I scream, realizing that he's just stepped into the cockpit. "Help Bastila!"

I hear him kneel beside me, examining Bastila quickly. "Jolee!" he calls a few seconds later. "Get in here! Kat and Bastila are hurt!"

Jolee's footsteps come clamoring up the hallway, and he replaces Carth a moment later.

Carth takes my arm and forces me to release Bastila's wrist. He roughly pulls me away from Bastila, carefully doing something to my forehead. A few moments later, he wipes the blood out of my eyes. This time, the blood doesn't fill my vision again. I immediately turn to Bastila, murmuring a 'thank you' to Carth.

She's sprawled out on the floor, her face pale. Her left leg looks broken, and there's blood in her mouth. Horror rushes through me at the sight of her. I drop down beside Jolee, staring down at Bastila.

Carth eases himself into the pilot's chair, immediately running some scans and tapping keys. "We were hit by a squad of Sith fighters," he reports quickly. "They're coming back for more. Ordo!" he calls over his shoulder. "Get to the turret!"

I hear Ordo's agreeing grunt from somewhere else in the ship, not really paying attention to it; I'm busy praying that Bastila'll be okay.

Jolee sits back from Bastila, wiping his hands on his pants before getting to his feet. I notice that he didn't heal Bastila with the Force and fear grips my heart and squeezes it tightly. "Jolee?" I ask, using the single word to voice my concern. My voice goes higher than I'd meant it to, and I guess it's because I'm terrified for Bastila.

"She broke her leg and bit her tongue. She's out cold right now, though," he says hastily, starting out of the cockpit. "I'll heal her later. Mission, Zaalbar, and Juhani got banged up, too."

I shift into Jolee's place at Bastila's side, taking her hand gently in both my own. My heart is beating ten times faster than I know it's supposed to. I take a deep breath to try and calm myself down, still staring at Bastila. I almost burst into tears when I think about how far away last night seems to me now. Hell, just two minutes ago, she and I had been all over each other. What cruel twist of fate would have caused this?

Just then, Bastila chokes on the blood oozing from her tongue. Being careful to not disturb her leg, I roll her onto her side and let it drain out of her mouth. I'll clean the floor later if I have to, so long as she's okay.

She coughs, groaning a moment later.

"Come on, Bas," I whisper, squeezing her hand. "Wake up."

Bastila whimpers quietly, trying to turn her head to look in my direction. "Kat?" she mumbles.

"I'm right here," I say immediately, healing her split tongue with the Force. "How're you feeling?"

Bastila only moans in response.

Carth gets out of his seat and moves around to Bastila's other side. I barely remember to release Bastila's hand before he notices, though it nearly kills me to do so. He looks up at me uncertainly. "Do you think we should move her?"

I nod immediately, knowing she'd be more comfortable in her bed. "Be gentle with her," I warn him as he moves to grab her. "She broke her leg."

Carth nods his understanding, easing her limp body into his arms. He gets to his feet, looking to me for direction as he balances her carefully.

"Come on," I say, leading him down the hallway and past the medbay.

Carth pauses uncertainly. "Um, Kat, don't you think...?"

I shake my head, turning and looking at him. My gaze drops to Bastila almost immediately, focusing on her face and all over again, I'm noticing how beautiful she is. "No," I say, pulling myself back to reality. "Jolee's going to need it, I think. A few of the others are hurt, too."

Carth shrugs, continuing on toward me. For just a split second, I think how chivalrous he looks; the way Bastila is resting in his arms would be adorably romantic if I wasn't so head over heels in love with her.

I lead him to the women's dorm, directing him to lay Bastila on her bed. Carth does so, and carefully at that. Once he leaves, I sit on the edge of Bastila's bed, taking her hand in mine once again. She moves ever so slightly at my touch.

"Bastila?" I call softly, wondering if she's awake.

Another explosion shakes the ship, but before I can be thrown to the floor, I grab the bunk above my head to steady myself.

"DAMN IT!" Canderous yells, apparently still in the turret fighting off the Sith fighters.

She reaches for me, her eyes still closed. I let her take my hands, watching her face as she looks more comforted.

"Kat?" she murmurs, her grip tightening on my hands.

"Come on, Bas," I reply, urging her to wake through our bond.

Finally, her eyes flutter open. Those beautiful gray eyes struggle to focus, clouding over with pain a moment later. "Ow," she whispers, turning her gaze on me. A smile plays across her lips. "Hi."

"Your leg hurt?" I ask, watching her expression carefully so I can be ready to get Jolee if I need to. On the inside, I'm so relieved that she's awake I could just melt.

She nods, unable to hide the pain in her eyes. "A little. How... you okay?"

I nod immediately, reaching up and stroking her hair gently. "I'm fine."

Bastila leans into my touch, nuzzling her cheek into my palm. "What happened?" she asks in a soft voice, gazing up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers. "And what's that on your forehead?"

"Sith fighters caught us by surprise and attacked. The explosion knocked us down and broke your leg. You blacked out, I think. I was worried about you," I add quietly. I reach up and touch my forehead, wondering what she means by the second half of her question. I'm surprised to find a bandage there. Then I remember Carth placing it on my head. "I cut my head open. Carth fixed it up real quick."

Bastila's eyebrows shoot up concernedly. "You're sure you're okay?"

I nod again, smiling down at her affectionately. "I promise."

Bastila gazes at me for a moment, opening her arms to me with a smile.

Without her having to speak a word, I know what she wants. I kick off my boots and lay down beside her, pulling her into my arms. She growls in pain, tensing in my arms and burying her face in my shoulder. I realize I must have bumped her leg. "Sorry," I whisper, rubbing her back gently.

She remains with her face buried in the crook of my neck for a few moments. When she finally pulls away, there's still a shadow of pain across her face, but she seems to have blocked most of it. She gazes at me quietly, a smile curving her lips. "You're so beautiful," she whispers, reaching up and laying her hand on my cheek.

I snort. "What? With this bandage on my forehead? You must have hit your head and gone blind or something." I flash her an embarrassed smile; I still can't believe Bastila feels this way about me, but I'm too relieved to care.

Bastila chuckles, stretching and nestling herself into my arms. She plants a quick kiss on the tip of my nose, cuddling against my chest. "I love you," she murmurs, dozing off to sleep.

I smile, stroking her hair softly. I lay there with her in my arms for a while, feeling like the absolute luckiest woman in the galaxy. Finally, with her soft breathing lulling me to sleep, I close my eyes and succumb to the warm peace of sleep.

* * *

Yes, I know, it was kind of a pitifully perfect outcome. The story isn't done with, I'm just commenting.

Reviews?


	4. Chapter 4

"Kat..."

I try my best to ignore the voice calling my name, vaguely thinking how wonderful it feels to lay in Bastila's arms.

"Kat!" Whoever it is shakes my shoulder gently, shaking me again a little more roughly when I don't wake.

Bastila stirs in her sleep, cuddling a little deeper into my embrace.

I tighten my arms around her a little, groaning and turning my head. I peer up at the evil person that decided to wake me out of one eye. "What?" I ask, my voice a little whinier than I know it should be.

"I want to check Bastila's leg," Jolee responds, lowering his voice when he sees that Bastila's still asleep.

I sigh, shaking Bastila gently. She moans, shifting a little on the bed. After a moment, she draws a deep breath, opening her eyes and meeting my gaze. A smile flickers across her face. "Hi," she whispers, her gaze going over my shoulder. She pales when she sees Jolee and begins trying to hide the fact that we've fallen asleep in each other's arms.

Jolee rolls his eyes at Bastila's reaction, thankfully not saying anything. Instead, he moves away so I can get up. I slip out of the bed, missing the feeling of Bastila's arms around me immediately. I already know what causes a strange feeling of uncertainty in my gut, though I can't help but wonder why.

Bastila accepts Jolee's help out of the bed, leaning on him heavily as they begin to hobble out of the dorm room.

I follow behind them like a loyal pet kath hound, pondering the reason for my uncertainty.

When we arrive in the medbay, I help Jolee lift Bastila onto the bed. I don't leave, instead choosing to stand at Bastila's side. I can't look at her for once, my uncertainty having turned into fear.

Jolee sets her leg, injecting some kolto into her hip. Then he begins Force healing her. I sense her relax as the pain she's been blocking out for hours disappears.

When Jolee finishes the healing, he excuses himself, blaming his old bladder for 'not standing up as well as it used to'. He gives me a meaningful look before he steps out of the medbay, his expression letting me know that he's giving me and Bastila some time to talk. He's quite the insightful old man.

I still can't make myself look at her; I'm suddenly afraid that I'll burst into tears.

Bastila reaches for my hand, apparently comfortable with me now that we're alone.

I pull away before she can touch me, chewing on my lip uneasily.

"Kat?" Bastila's voice is concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I..." I hesitate, unsure of what I want to say. "I'm not sure."

Bastila shifts on the bed, pushing herself into a sitting position. She grabs my hand and presses it to her cheek gently, remaining silent for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asks after a moment, her tone growing uneasy.

"Are you embarrassed of me?" I blurt out, wincing even as I say the words. Leave it to me to get right to the point. Finally, I force myself to look at her. Her jaw is hanging open, the look on her face a mix of shock and hurt.

"What in the galaxy makes you think that?!" she asks indignantly.

"When you woke up, you were happy to see me. Until you noticed Jolee. Then you were doing all you could to cover 'us' up." I feel ashamed at even bringing this up, but I can't help it. It's scaring me.

The tips of Bastila's ears turn red. "Kat, I--" She stops herself for a moment, continuing a moment later when she looks a little calmer. "I'm **not** embarrassed of you! I just don't want everyone knowing about us yet."

"But, Bas, I could go and shout it from the penthouses on Coruscant! I'm so overjoyed to finally be able to kiss you and love you that I don't care who knows." I feel tears fill my eyes, brushing them away with frustration. "Am I doing something wrong? Did I say something? If there's something wrong, please, just tell me so I can fix it."

Bastila takes my hands in hers and holds them tightly. A hard, determined look comes onto her face. "There's absolutely nothing wrong, Kat. I told you already, I'm not ready for people to know."

I stare at her for a moment, finally nodding and pulling my hands out of her grasp. "Okay," I say, watching as relief sweeps over her face. Guilt bubbles up in the pit of my stomach as I watch, knowing already what I'm going to do. "I'll see you later, then," I add, sounding flippant. I know I'm too distraught to think rationally, that there's no reason for me to leave, but I can't stand it.

Without saying anything else, I walk out of the medbay. Bastila calls after me, but I ignore her. As quickly as I can, I head to the engine room and sink down against the wall. The engine room, my refuge. I'm almost sure that she'll try and follow me this time, but I'm also sure that she won't look here in the engine room quite yet. With any luck, this'll be the last place she'll look.

I hug my knees to my chest, rocking myself gently as I stare at the floor. Somehow, I end up counting the number of scratches in the floor and trying to guess how they got there. It serves to distract me, so I guess I can't complain.

"You're going to asphyxiate yourself if you keep coming in here," a voice says, pulling me out of my reverie.

I look up to see Canderous leaning against the door frame, smirking down at me. For some reason, the Mandalorian and I have struck up a friendship. We talk about important things from time to time, when no one else seems to care.

"Hey, Ordo," I mumble, my gaze returning to the floor.

"What's up? You're not usually so depressed." Canderous comes over and sits beside me, looking at me curiously.

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. "Can you keep a secret?"

He nods, and for some reason, I completely believe him.

"It's Bastila," I sigh.

Canderous nods knowingly. "You love her?"

I look at him sharply. "How did you--"

He laughs at my surprise. "You were always ogling her and paying more attention to her when she said anything. No one else does that. It's kind of hard not to notice something that out of the ordinary. Besides, I saw you two after I spiked the punch."

My shoulders slump. "Oh."

"Now, what's wrong?" he asks, settling himself back against the wall.

"Well," I begin, realizing that since he already knows about me and Bastila, I may as well tell him the entire story. "We, um, after you spiked the punch, she pulled me into the dorm and she told me that she loves me. And I could see it in her eyes that she was telling the truth. It was really her speaking; the alcohol just lowered her defenses and let her say it. And..."

"You slept with her," Canderous supplies, his voice relaxed and easy-going.

I gape at him. "How--"

He shrugs. "It fits with the story so far. It was a guess. I guess I was right?" he asks with a wicked grin.

I blush in response, eliciting a laugh from Canderous. I punch him lightly, mumbling for him to shut up. "Anyway," I continue, trying to ignore him as he chuckles silently. "She didn't seem to remember anything about our little... um... _thing_, and I was crushed. She came and found me crying in the cargo bay, and I ended up telling her that I love her, too. Before she could say anything, I ran away." I scowl at him as he makes a scoffing noise. "After a few hours of hiding out in here, I went and found her in the cockpit. She jumped on me and started kissing me, told me she loves me, and then we got attacked."

Canderous puts a phony touched expression on his face, sobering when he sees the tears forming in my eyes.

I'd started and now I couldn't stop talking. "I was so scared that she was dead; she was pale and there was blood... Hell, I was scared out of my mind. I love her so much, Canderous, but..." I close my eyes before I continue, trying to keep the tears from coming. "When Jolee came in and woke us up this morning, she acted liked she was embarrassed of me. I don't know why. It hurt, though, to have her do that. I'd die for her, Canderous. I'd give up everything I've ever earned if it would make her happy." I snorted. "Hell, I'd go dance naked in front of the entire Jedi Council and tell them that I think they're all withered old idiots."

Canderous chuckles softly. "All for her?"

I nod, keeping my eyes closed. "Every single bit of it. But, I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting. Maybe she's just not into all that public affection. But then again, what if she's just playing me? What if she goes and reports me to the Council for being a horrible excuse for a Jedi? What if she's just trying to make a fool out of me?" I bury my face in my hands as my heart sinks into my stomach.

"That's a hell of a lot of what if's," Canderous remarks. "I bet you're just overreacting."

"But I love her and I want to show off that she's mine, but I can't do that if she doesn't want me to. And I'm positive that she doesn't want to show it off that I'm hers. So what am I supposed to think?" I try to stifle a sob, to no avail.

"That I love you more than you can ever know and that I'm worried someone will try to take you away from me if they know how I feel about you," Bastila's voice says, sounding very emotional.

My head snaps up and my eyes pop open to find Bastila kneeling in front of me, her eyes full of tears and a facial expression that's pleading for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry I've been acting like such a pathetic excuse for what you deserve," she whispers, staring at me, piercing my soul with those wonderful gray eyes of hers.

"How much of that did you hear?" I ask faintly, unable to tear my gaze from her face.

"I came in when you started talking about the attack," she answers, reaching out and stroking my cheek softly.

I find myself only able to nod, watching as she wipes tears out of her eyes.

"You're not pathetic," I say quietly, my voice a little more steady. "You are the best damn thing that's ever happened to me. Don't ever think any less of yourself."

Bastila grins, reaching for me and pulling me into her arms. She kisses me softly, nearly causing me to melt into a puddle of happiness.

I suddenly realize that we're kissing in front of Canderous, pulling away from her and shooting her a quizzical look. She gives me a small, self-conscious smile. "I'm trying," she whispers. "I want to show off that you're mine."

I grin at her, turning and looking at Canderous. He's watching us with an interested expression. "Out," I tell him, pointing to the door.

"Aw, come on!" he grumbles, getting to his feet. "I don't get to see any action?"

"Out!" Bastila and I command in one voice.

Canderous leaves like a disappointed kath pup; if he'd had a tail, it would have been between his legs.

Bastila and I share a look, bursting into laughter. I open my arms to her and she moves into them readily, snuggling up against me and resting her head against my shoulder. I hold her close, tears leaking down my cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry, Bastila."

She shakes her head against me, tilting her head and planting a kiss just below my jaw. "Don't, Kat. You've got nothing to be sorry for." She sighs and cuddles a little farther into my arms. "It was my fault. I was being stupid."

I snort and rest my head against hers. "You were not. We had a miscommunication, that's all," I say, inwardly cheering myself, knowing that by saying that, neither of us can take the blame.

Bastila makes an agreeing noise, sighing contentedly. She's silent for a few moments, then turns and looks up at me curiously. "Would you really dance naked in front of the council?"

I crack a grin and nod. "Absolutely. With a gizka on my head and a pair of Carth's boxers in each hand."

Bastila bursts into laughter, and I join her a second later. We laugh hysterically for a few moments, calming ourselves down and gazing at each other. Our lips meet not a second later, and for a tender moment, there's nothing but sheer bliss.

"Hey, Kat?" Carth calls from the cockpit, his voice faint because of the distance. "Can you come here a minute?"

Bastila and I break apart immediately and I grumble, shifting slightly. "Can it wait?" I call back.

"I'd rather it didn't," Carth replies, sounding a little exasperated.

"Damn it," I mumble, releasing Bastila and getting to my feet.

Bastila laughs quietly, standing beside me. She's still a little wobbly on her feet, but she brushes off my steadying grasp. She follows me out of the engine room and past the medbay, heading into the commons area. Once we can walk beside each other comfortably, she takes my hand. I feel Jolee's eyes on us, shooting him a triumphant smile.

"Hey, Kat. Hey, B--" Mission stops when she actually looks up to see us holding hands. She pales then blushes, as though she's seeing something she's not supposed to.

I glance at Bastila out of the corner of my eye. Her cheeks are a little pinker than normal, but she doesn't look completely embarrassed. In fact, she actually looks a little proud.

I grin and squeeze her hand, heading toward the cockpit. As we walk up the hallway to the cockpit, I lean my head toward Bastila and whisper, "Thank you."

Bastila flushes a little deeper pink, smiling with an almost giddy expression on her face. "It's a start," she whispers back.

I nod, squeezing her hand one last time before we step into the cockpit.

"What do you need, Carth?" I ask, surprised to feel Bastila release my hand. I throw her a quizzical glance, and she shakes her head in response, the look on her face telling me that she'll explain later.

"I need you to do me a favor," he replies, stifling a yawn. He looks tired. "I haven't slept in hours, and I need a break. I'm beginning to think I'll see stars when I close my eyes." He grins at me. "Would you mind taking over for a few hours so I can get some sleep?"

I grin at him. "Get your ass in bed, Onasi. You look dead on your feet."

Carth chuckles, getting to his feet and stretching before he heads to the men's dorm, clapping me on the back gratefully. "Don't crash," he calls as he leaves the cockpit.

"Like hell I will," I laugh, turning to Bastila. She looks a little uncomfortable, and I guess it's because of my cursing. She's never really gotten used to it in all the time we've been traveling together. "What's the matter, Gorgeous?" I ask quietly.

Bastila looks up at me and grins embarrassedly. "It's Carth," she says a moment later, her grin fading. "I don't think you can feel it, but he's attracted to you." Her eyes drop to the floor. "He's falling in love with you."

Something in my gut tightens. I had no idea… I certainly don't reciprocate those feelings. Bastila completely has my heart, and she knows it. She has no reason to be worried. "Bas--" I cut myself off as I realize why she didn't want to hold my hand in front of him. What a thoughtful gesture… "Oh."

She glances back at me with a smile, apparently glad that I understand right away. "I didn't really think you wanted to hurt him, so I dropped your hand."

I nod with understanding, taking her in my arms. I place a light kiss on her forehead, cuddling her into my arms. "I love you, Bastila."

After sharing a few more kisses, we break apart and take the pilot and co-pilot seats, talking and enjoying each other's company as we guide the ship along the hyperspace route toward Dantooine; we need more supplies and don't know where else to go.

The hours pass quickly, and before I know it, I'm jerking awake. I blink my eyes a few times, trying to grasp where I am.

Bastila glances over at me with a smile. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she teases. "I see you've decided to rejoin the world of the living."

I stick my tongue out at her, chuckling quietly. "Good morning to you, too. How long was I out?"

Bastila shrugged. "A few hours. You were too cute to wake up."

I catch the grin she shoots me, stretching in my seat; my muscles have grown stiff from sleeping in the pilot's chair.

"We're getting close," Bastila says after a silence. "Should only be a few more hours."

I mumble something that Bastila lets pass as agreement, though she shoots me a look. I grin angelically, causing her to laugh and shake her head.

Just then, I notice movement outside the cockpit window. My eyes dart to the moving object, immediately identifying it as a Sith fighter. "Shit!"

Bastila shoots me a surprised and reproachful look, opening her mouth to reprimand me for my language, though she gets the reason for my behavior a second later when one alarm after another begins ringing.

I jump out of my seat and rush to the turret, climbing the rungs of the ladder faster than I usually do. The moment I'm in the seat, I power up the turret and begin firing.

"Kat, watch your left," Bastila's voice says over the intercom link between the turret and the cockpit.

I swing around and shoot off a few rounds at the approaching Sith fighter. It explodes not more than a few thousand feet from the _Ebon Hawk_. Out of the corner of my eye, I see more coming, turning and firing on them. A couple of the blaster bolts hit their target and two or three of the Sith ships explode. The rest split apart, zooming over the _Hawk. _I growl at them as I turn the turret, firing at one of the ships as it heads away. My blaster bolt catches its engine and the ship explodes.

"Kat…"

"I've got 'em," I reply, sending off a fresh round of turret fire. Another ship blows up after being hit by my fire. I hear the rumble of another engine as it flies around behind me, pulling the turret around and firing on it. The ship explodes awfully close to the _Ebon Hawk_, close enough that the glass in the windows shakes.

Another small fighter zooms up behind us, and before my sensors can even pick it up, the ships lurches violently, nearly throwing me out of my seat. I wheel the turret around, not missing the charred, sparking area on the _Ebon Hawk_'s hull. My fingers curl around the triggers of the blasters as I let the computer aid me in locking onto the ships. The moment I hear the soft "ding" that signals the lock, I squeeze the triggers. Red blaster bolts fan out from my blasters, and I hit the last two ships. They explode in two small balls of light.

I slump back in my seat, letting out my breath in a rush.

"Looks like you got them all," Bastila calls after a moment. "But that last one was pretty close. You okay?"

I'm too relieved to respond at first, and it doesn't help that I am suddenly exhausted from the stress of the situation.

"Kat?" Bastila sounds worried.

"Coming," I reply, getting out of my seat with a groan. I climb down the ladder and begin the walk to the cockpit. It's not too long a walk, really, I just take it so much that it gets boring.

As I step into the cockpit, Bastila's setting the ship on autopilot. Without even recognizing my presence, she launches herself out of her seat, apparently headed for the turret. I sense fear for my safety rolling off her just before she collides with me and we fall to the floor in a tangle.

I open my eyes to find Bastila on top of me. She opens her eyes as well, looking shocked when she sees that it's me she laying on top of. The next thing I know, I'm getting smothered by her frantic kisses.

"I thought you were hurt," she whispers between kisses, immediately finding my lips with her own. "All I heard was you groaning, and I thought--"

I capture her face in my hands and hold her a few inches away so I can look her in the eye. "I'm fine, Bastila. I was getting out of my chair." I crack a grin. "I'm getting old, or something; the groan comes naturally." I start to chuckle as Bastila laughs. Soon we're kissing again, and once again, I feel like the luckiest woman in the galaxy.


	5. Chapter 5

As the ship docks on Dantooine, Bastila and I remain in the ship for a few minutes after everyone else leaves. She's cuddled into my shoulder as we relax on one of the 'couches' in the commons, and she's asleep. I can't bring myself to wake her, so I sit and think about what the Jedi Council would say if they knew we were together.

Certainly, Master Vrook would be pissed, I know. He's the stuffiest, most annoying member on the council, in my opinion. I've known the man for six months and I hate his guts, no questions asked. He's done nothing but look down on me the whole time I've been in his presence, as if he knows something about me that I don't.

Just then, Bastila shifts in my arms and wakes. "Are we there yet?" she mumbles, still sounding half asleep.

"Yeah," I whisper in her ear, hugging her gently.

Bastila groans and snuggles back into my shoulder. "Let's stay here."

"You know the Council's going to want to see us," I remind her quietly, stroking her hair. "Check our progress on our mission."

Bastila grumbles something unintelligible into the crook of my neck, looping her arms around me loosely.

I laugh softly, hugging her to me. "It's fine with me if you wanna stay here; I don't really wanna see those old coots anyway."

I'm only half kidding, but I earn a chuckle from Bastila, a soft, joyful sound. She lifts her head and kisses me on the cheek gently. "I love you, Kat," she whispers, grumbling some more as she shifts herself into a sitting position. She doesn't make a move to leave my arms, something that brings a smile to my face.

"I suppose we'd better go," she says finally, kissing me quickly. She detangles herself from my embrace, getting to her feet. She takes my hand and pulls me to my feet beside her, squeezing my hand before releasing it. She heads to the 'fresher and fixes her appearance quickly; she'd mussed her hair snuggling into my shoulder when she fell asleep.

I lean in the doorway, watching her as she fixes her hair. My heart swells as I realize for the umpteenth time that she's actually _mine_. I still can't believe that the most beautiful woman in the galaxy actually loves me.

Bastila catches my gaze in the mirror and grins at me, going back to fixing her hair. "What're you staring at?" she asks after a moment, fastening a clip into her hair.

"An angel," I reply softly, taking in the sight of her.

She blushes a deep red, turning around and looking at me intently. "Must you be such a romantic?" Bastila asks after a moment. "You make me not want to leave the ship at all." A mischievous, flirtatious smile flashes across her face.

I grin wickedly. "Let's not and say we did."

She returns my smile, blushing again, though she doesn't flush as deep a red as before. "Or..." she murmurs, walking toward me, a sultry swing to her hips as she walks.

My breath hitches in my throat as she walks toward me.

"We could leave and talk to the council like we're supposed to," she says, a wicked grin stretching across her face.

My excitement deflates like a balloon. "Aw, Bas!"

She laughs at my oh-so-obvious disappointment, kissing me on the lips softly before walking past me toward the loading ramp. "Come on," she calls over her shoulder. "We don't want to raise suspicions, do we?"

I roll my eyes before darting to catch her. I do, and I pin her against the wall, kissing her desperately. She moans into my mouth, pulling me against her.

I break away from her and grin wickedly just as she's getting into it. "Ah ah ah," I tell her, resting a finger on her lips to shush her when she opens her mouth to protest. "We have to go visit the council."

Bastila growls at me, shoving me away playfully. "Fine. Let's get out of here, you horrible creature."

I laugh, following her out of the _Hawk_ and toward the Jedi council chamber. We talk quietly, preparing answers for any personal questions that the Jedi might send our way.

Vrook shoots a condescending, scrutinizing look at us the instant we step into the chamber.

I want nothing more than to tell him what I really think about him when he shoots me his know-it-all glare, but Bastila turns and frowns at me, shaking her head. For only a moment, I wonder how she knows what I'm thinking, mentally smacking myself a moment later. _Damn bond, _I think to myself.

Bastila and I keep our distance from each other as she updates the council on our mission, trying not to do anything that would alert the council to our relationship.

I'm surprised that Vrook lasts as long as he does before exploding with his statement. "I sense dark emotions within the two of you," he says, narrowing his eyes as at us.

Before I can even start to think about what to say, Bastila's talking. "We encountered some dark Jedi at our last stop on Tatooine," she says easily; I realize with a great flood of relief that she's actually telling the truth. We did meet some dark Jedi at our last stop. I flash her a grateful smile that she pretends she didn't see. "Perhaps some of their darkness rubbed off on us," she finishes, sounding thoughtful.

The other council members seem to accept her answer, and after a moment, Vrook grudgingly does too. I can't help but grin; had any other Jedi come up with that answer, the council wouldn't have accepted it. Bastila, being the star student of the Enclave, can apparently get away with it.

The council tells us to be careful and maintain constant vigilance, ending with "May the Force be with you."

We bow, they return it in kind, and Bastila and I exit the council chamber. When the door shuts behind us, Bastila grins at me, obviously happy to have that over with. "Shall we go for a walk?"

I nod, restraining myself from taking her hand. "That was some quick thinking," I say quietly, making sure that she can hear the pride in my voice.

Bastila's cheeks flush with embarrassment as we duck out of the Enclave, heading through the courtyard and onto the Dantooine plains. We both take a moment to absorb the fresh air and sunshine, relaxing and letting ourselves fall in tune with our surroundings.

She glances over her shoulder and checks to make sure there's no one following us. She turns to me and flashes me a grin. "Let's get out of here," Bastila says quietly, sprinting off suddenly.

I stare at the spot she was just in for a moment, dumbstruck as how quickly she disappears, giggling and darting the way she had gone. I draw upon the Force to help speed myself up, soon catching up to her and keeping our strides the same.

She throws me a challenging smile, suddenly speeding ahead.

I quickly increase my speed and catch up to her again. I'm out of breath this time, and I start to slow down, calling after her, "Damn! You're fast."

Suddenly, she turns and stops in front of me, hands on her hips and a frown on her face. It's too late for me to stop myself, so I crash into her and we topple to the ground, my inertia rolling us forward for a few yards before we come to a stop.

I burst into laughter, winding my arms around Bastila as I giggle.

She tries to catch her breath, looking at me dryly. "Don't curse," she pants, a traitorous smile appearing on her face as she takes in the sight of me: I'm covered in grass and giggling hysterically. After a moment, we're both laughing and hugging each other.

Every time I start to stop laughing, Bastila giggles and I start laughing all over again, and vice versa. We go on like that for a few minutes before Bastila kicks me in the shin.

"Ow! What was that for?" I groan, immediately reaching down to clutch my shin.

Bastila pokes me for good measure. "Stop cursing, and it was to stop you from laughing; you've got such an infectious giggle, I thought we were going to be laughing here all day."

I manage a grin through the stinging in my leg, reaching up and pecking her on the lips quickly before rolling away from her and getting to my feet. Bastila gets up behind me and jumps onto my back. I stagger, faking a groan at her weight, though I really don't mind all too much. Bastila swats at me and throws her arms around my neck when I pretend to drop her. She giggles, kissing my cheek gently.

"Oh sure," I mutter. "_Now_ you kiss me."

Bastila giggles some more, trailing kisses down my neck.

I growl at her, shivering as I enjoy every second of her attention. Soon, I can't stand it any longer. I carefully drop her to the ground, laying her flat on her back as I crawl over top of her. My mouth immediately covers hers and I'm suddenly very aware of her breasts pressing against mine. I tear my mouth away from hers, looking down into her gray eyes. A mixture of lust and adoration is sparkling in her eyes, and there's a slight blush creeping up her neck.

I hesitate, my breathing coming in soft pants as we stare at each other for a few long minutes. "Bas…"

Bastila's eyes search my face for a moment, before she reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down to kiss her again.


	6. Chapter 6

When we arrive back at the Enclave, the sun has just begun to set, casting an orange glow over the land. Mission meets us back in the courtyard, looking relieved to see us. She rushes up to us, saying at first that she's been wondering where we were. She waits for our explanation, then cocks her head with confusion as she realizes something. "Did you two have a fight?" she asks quietly. "You're not even touching each other."

"Shh!" I hiss at her, glancing around to make sure no one hears.

"Sheesh!" Mission gripes, turning and shaking her head. "Ask a question and get yelled at. You're no fun, you know that?" She shoots me a knowing grin over her shoulder, letting me know that she understands why I shushed her.

I laugh, shooting Bastila a smile. I clap Mission on the shoulder, nodding my agreement. "I know. It's 'cause I'm old."

Mission grins wickedly, ducking when I pretend to swat at her. "Hey! You said it!"

Bastila and I laugh, starting back toward the ship.

Mission walks beside me as we head for the _Hawk_, still smiling. "I'm never gonna let you live that down, you know," she tells me, punching me lightly in the arm.

I chuckle and nod. "I know. Believe me, I know."

We walk up the boarding ramp in silence before Mission looks at me curiously once again. "Hey, Kat?"

"What?" I ask, raising the ramp for the night and making a goofy face at Bastila. Bastila smiles, turning her attention to Mission as the alien girl begins to speak.

"How old are you, anyway?" Mission asks.

I shoot her a dry look. "Way to be tactful there, kiddo." I allow myself a smile at the look on her face before answering. "I'm twenty-four standard years old, almost twenty-five."

"Hm," Mission murmurs, doing the math in her head. "That's not even twice my age. Maybe you're not so old." She grins, turning and skipping away. "Hey Zaalbar! Wanna play Pazaak?" she calls as she disappears around the corner.

I chuckle, almost wishing for the simplicity of being a fourteen-year-old once again. When I turn to Bastila, she's looking at me strangely. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"When's your birthday?" she asks, using her question to answer mine.

I roll my eyes at her. "It's not really that important, is it?"

"It is," Bastila insists, watching me.

"Fine," I grumble. "In about a month."

Bastila shoots me a dry look. "Leave it to you to be specific." Her tone absolutely drips with sarcasm.

I decide not to reply, not wanting to start a fight between us; I can feel the tension in the air. I want to smack myself; I know how she gets when something's important to her. I just don't see the value in knowing my birthday. Instead of pushing it, I walk over to the other side of the room and start running a few maintenance scans on one of the computers.

Apparently, Bastila senses the tension, too; she lets the subject drop and heads away, saying that she's covered in grass and is going to shower before dinner.

I sigh and brush the topic from my mind before I head to the galley to help Jolee prepare dinner.

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

The crew, enjoying the carefree atmosphere that accompanied being on Dantooine, decides as a whole that we'll stay on Dantooine for a while, resting up and relaxing before we head off to find the next Star Map. Bastila and I don't give anyone outside the ship any reason to suspect anything between us. Most of the rest of the crew calls us crazy when we stay on the ship, saying that "it's too nice outside to stay in a ship all day." Bastila and I have our reasons, of course. And not being used to the climate on Dantooine, Jolee, Mission, and Zaalbar tend to stay with us.

After about two and a half weeks of good old R and R, we leave, heading off to Korriban.

I wake up to the feeling of Bastila stroking my cheek gently, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. I look up at her to see what she's doing, offering her a small smile. "How much longer?" I ask groggily, looking around to see where we are. I remember almost immediately that I'd been laying on one of the couches with my head in Bastila's lap.

"We've still got a few days, Kat," Bastila says softly, gazing at me with a strange emotion in her eyes. She moves her hand and begins stroking my hair, her eyes going far away a few seconds later. A slight furrow is forming across her forehead, her gray eyes flashing with something that concerns me.

Immediately awake because of the concern I feel, I sit up and turn to face her, watching her carefully. "What's wrong, Bas?" I ask quietly, taking her hands in mine and rubbing the backs of them with my thumbs.

She looks over at me, that strange expression still on her face. She stares at me for a moment before she actually speaks. "Nothing. Everything's fine." Her voice is quiet and cautious, a sure sign that she's picking her words carefully.

I bite my lower lip, knowing that she's not telling me the whole truth. I've studied her little actions long enough that I can tell when she's avoiding something. For a long moment, I debate whether or not to press the matter. "I love you, Bastila," I remind her quietly after a silence stretches between us.

Bastila looks over at me sharply, looking like she might burst into tears a few moments later.

I can sense guilt rolling off of her, and I take her in my arms and hold her to me gently. She twines her arms around my neck and buries her face in the crook of my neck. She doesn't cry, she just sits there.

I stroke her back gently, cuddling her closer to me. I don't say anything, knowing that if she has something to say, she'll say it.

Suddenly, she tears herself out of my grasp and gets to her feet, straightening her tunic and gazing at the floor. Her eyes are shining with unshed tears. "I need… I… I'll be meditating in the cargo bay." She turns her eyes on me, the emotions in them pleading with me not to interrupt her.

I nod, staring at her concernedly. I can't imagine what's going through her mind; all I know is that she's stressing out about something important, and she doesn't want to share it. I hate to leave her to struggle through her problem, but if that's what she wants…

Bastila traces my face with her eyes before shaking herself and hurrying out of the commons.

I'm left sitting on the seat, staring after her worriedly.

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

Hours later, it's after dinner, and Mission and I are playing cards in the women's dorm. I'm losing horribly, as usual. Mission's just dealt a new hand when I hear footsteps coming up the hall into the dorm.

I figure it's Carth again; he's already interrupted us a few times to complain about Canderous getting on his nerves.

"… Kat?"

I drop my cards immediately at the sound of Bastila's voice, turning and gazing at her. It's obvious by her appearance that she was too busy crying to do much meditating.

Bastila's staring at the floor, her eyes red and puffy. She's wringing her hands. Finally, she looks up at me, the expression on her face one of agonized uncertainty. "Can… can we talk?" she chokes out, looking like she might burst into tears all over again.

I nod, murmuring an apology to Mission as I get to my feet and move to take Bastila's hand. She pulls away before I can even touch her, leading me out of the dorm and to the cargo bay.

As we walk to the cargo bay, my stomach tightens nervously. I can tell that something's obviously not right. It scares me to think about what Bastila might have to say. By the time we arrive in the cargo bay, my mind is racing.

Bastila turns to me, though she doesn't look me in the eye. Her gaze is on her boots, and it doesn't look like she's going to start talking. After a moment, though, she opens her mouth and shoots me a nervous glance. "Kat, this… This isn't working."

My blood suddenly feels like ice running through my veins. I feel a little dizzy as she continues speaking.

"This can't work, we can't. I know, you probably don't understand, but you have to trust me, this is for the best." Bastila closes her eyes as she speaks, as if she doesn't want to see the emotions flashing across my face.

I'm silent for a long time, trying to comprehend what she's saying. I can't believe it. "Why?" I choke out, hating that my voice portrays the pain that's aching in my chest. "Why can't it work? We have everything going for us!"

Bastila shakes her head, opening her eyes and looking at me through her tears. "No, Kat. You just… You don't understand."

"But, Bas…" I start to say, staring at her pleadingly. "I love you."

Bastila groans and buries her face in her hands, massaging her temples. "Please don't say that," she moans. "You're making this harder than it already is."

"Then why are you doing this?" I ask, stepping toward her. "Please, just talk to me. Tell me _why_." I wonder for a moment if there's someone else, someone she cares about more. I push the thought away; it hurts too much, and I know Bastila better than for her to not tell me if that's the reason.

Bastila groans and knits her fingers behind her neck frustratedly. "I can't," she says, sounding as though there's nothing she'd rather do than tell me. "I just… I can't." After a moment, she opens her eyes and stares at me pleadingly. "Just let that be enough. _Please_."

I open my mouth to reply, closing it again after a moment and staring into her gray eyes. I nearly lose myself in them for what seems like the thousandth time. The only thing that keeps me attached to reality is the ache in my chest.

When I finally open my mouth to reply, I'm interrupted by what sounds like an explosion. Before we know it, the _Ebon Hawk_ is dragged into the hangar of the Leviathan, a Sith admiral's ship. Bastila and I share a nervous glance before darting out of the cargo bay and helping make rushed plans for escape before the Sith storm the ship.


	7. Chapter 7

The Sith admiral tortures and interrogates us after sending a message to Darth Malak that he's captured us. He tries to glean information about our mission from me while torturing Bastila and Carth in front of me. I nearly break and tell him what he wants to know when Bastila screams, just to stop the agony I know she's feeling.

The next thing I know, I'm waking up to Carth calling my name worriedly. Carth tells me that the admiral tortured me until I was unconscious after I didn't reveal any information to him, and that he'd left with the promise of Malak's arrival soon.

Bastila doesn't speak at all; she sits in her separate force cage and stares at the floor, her brow furrowed and her eyes far away.

I swallow the sudden urge to talk to her, instead talking quietly with Carth about our potential escape. We all look at the door fearfully when it hisses open, heaving a collective sigh of relief when we see that it's Juhani there to rescue us.

Juhani breaks us out of our force cages, going off to find and rescue the rest of the crew.

Carth immediately leads me and Bastila to the storage area, where we gather our things and start to reequip ourselves. Carth and I hold a quiet conversation about how to escape the ship, quickly deducing that the admiral most likely sealed the hangar the _Ebon Hawk_ is in. Carth, knowing the basic layout of the type of ship we're on, starts off for the bridge.

Bastila and I follow, and Bastila somehow manages to keep Carth between us as we walk. Sith swarm on us, and soon it's a slow battle toward the bridge.

During the quiet moments, I'm sure Carth can sense the tension between Bastila and I; he doesn't say anything. We make our way through corridor after corridor, finally arriving at the bridge.

Carth and the admiral exchange a few harsh words before they rush toward each other, engaging each other in fierce combat.

My eyes are on Bastila the entire time that I'm not saving my own butt, making sure that she doesn't get hurt. I end up taking on more than half the soldiers that rush at us in my attempt to keep Bastila safe. For the most part, it works; Bastila stays unharmed. I can't say the same for myself, though. By the time the last soldier is dead, my body feels like it's on fire. I wryly think to myself that it's safe to say that I'll 'be feeling that in the morning'.

"What?" Carth roars, breaking me out of my reverie. He's kneeling over the dying admiral, listening to something the admiral is telling him.

Bastila swears softly, but I refrain from looking at her. I take a moment to heal myself with the Force as a way to keep myself from turning to Bastila.

Carth jumps to his feet, turning to Bastila. His face is livid. "It is true, isn't it! And you, Bastila! You knew the whole damn time, didn't you?"

"Carth, it's not what you think," Bastila says nervously, trying to calm him. "I can explain everything, I swear."

Carth snarls at her. "You'd better! I can't believe this!" he growls, raking his hands through his hair and turning around to compose himself.

Now I turn to Bastila curiously, wondering what in the name of Yavin is going on. Bastila looks on the verge of tears, looking both relieved and guilty. She still isn't looking at me, and I can't decide if I want to say anything or just stand there and be confused.

Finally, Carth turns around. His eyes are still alight with anger, but he seems calmer. "Okay," he says tightly. "Okay. Let's just get the hell out of here." He walks forward, going directly between us and toward the bridge exit.

I turn and follow Carth wordlessly, my heart pounding in my chest nervously. I can tell this is something big, and by the way Carth and Bastila are acting, I'm guessing that it has something to do with me.

As we make our way to the hangar, we get stopped by a series of blast doors that help to protect the rest of the ship if there's an explosion beyond them. For a moment, I don't know what's going on; we're sealed in from behind.

Bastila gasps just before a shiver scurries up my spine. A dark aura has just entered the area, and it could only belong to one person: Malak.

Sure enough, Malak comes striding through the door in front of us not a second later. He draws his lightsaber as Carth pulls out his blaster.

"Down you go!" Carth yells, firing off a few rounds of fire toward Malak.

Malak blocks the blaster bolts with his blade, using a pulse of the Force to send Carth flying into the door behind us. With a groan, Carth slumps to the floor.

Malak turns his gaze on me then, watching me intently with his dark eyes. "I can't believe it's you," he says finally. "I thought you were dead. But now I see that fate has transpired to bring us together once more!"

"What?" I ask sharply, half expecting him to laugh and kill me within the very next second.

I'm right on one count; Malak laughs, looking surprised. "You must be joking. You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" I shoot back at him, a foreboding feeling settling into my gut.

Malak pays me no mind. "I wonder how long you would have stayed blind to the truth," he muses. "Surely some of your old self must have surfaced by now."

"What are you trying to tell me, Malak?" I yell, both afraid and curious.

Malak looks gleeful as he fakes a bow to me. "Hello again, Darth Revan," he says, looking right at me.

My blood turns ice cold for the second time today. I feel my heart skip a beat or two. I'm Darth Revan? I was the one that wrought all that destruction and evil on the galaxy? I was the one that ruined so many lives? A crushing wave of remorse sweeps over me, threatening to bring me to my knees. I don't know how I manage to stay standing.

I wonder for a moment why the Jedi didn't just kill Revan, kill me, when they had the opportunity, but a phrase Bastila told me once runs through my mind: "_The Jedi do not believe in killing their prisoners. No one deserves execution, no matter what their crimes.__"_

I'm dumbstruck for a moment, but then, I realize something. Suddenly, things are beginning to make sense. My being Revan is why Vrook dislikes me so much, and why Bastila broke up with me. She knew, and she couldn't tell me. The dishonesty and guilt she must have felt would have been overwhelming…

I turn to Bastila, surprised to find her piercing gray eyes trained on me. Our gazes lock and I can see so many things in her eyes… Sorrow, regret, relief, uncertainty, fear…

"Bastila…" I murmur, unable to say anything else.

"It's true," she replies, her words coming out in a rush. I can sense relief and guilt rolling off her, knowing that it's probably because she doesn't have to keep my former identity a secret any more. "The Council didn't want me to tell you because they thought the dark Revan would come back. But, Kat, you have to believe me, I wanted to tell you! I didn't think it was right to leave you in the dark. I thought it was better for you to know. "

For a moment, there's nothing I want to do more than to hold Bastila close and kiss her senseless. "I understand," I say quietly, allowing myself a small smile. It's true; I do understand why everything happened the way it has.

Bastila sees my smile and the sincerity in my expression and her eyes light up; she knows she's forgiven for our breakup. _I love you,_ I whisper to her mentally.

Bastila's lips curve into a beautiful smile, and I see tears glisten in her eyes.

_I love you, too, _I hear her voice whispering in my mind.

Feeling energized by her silent words, I turn back to Malak. "I'm Katrina Turmen," I tell him firmly. "I'm not Revan."

Malak snorts in response. "You are pathetic, Revan. I must say, though, that I've always regretted not killing you in person. It looks like fate has decided to give me another chance, and when I'm finished the entire galaxy will see my power and bow before me!" He rushes toward me, and right before I block his blade with my own I hear Bastila cry out, her voice terrified for me.

Malak snarls and paralyzes Bastila and Carth, freezing them in place. He blocks an attack that I throw at him, unable to dodge my next attack. I hit him square in the shoulder, nearly severing his arm. Malak throws me back against the wall with an overpowering Force Push. Something tears a gash in my side as I fly backward, and when I hit the wall, I nearly crack my head open.

As I lay dazed on the ground, curled into a ball as pain gushes through my body, Malak turns and runs away through a door that clicks shut behind him.

For a few moments, I struggle to breathe, finally dragging myself to my feet. My first thought is to check on Carth and Bastila. Carth, I find, will be okay. He's just dazed. I turn to Bastila, gingerly picking my way toward her.

Bastila's unhurt, and the moment I step into her line of vision, I feel her presence envelop me as she heals my wounds with the Force. The dizzy feeling in my head starts to clear and I reach out and touch her shoulder gently. "Bastila," I whisper, knowing that even though she can't move her eyes to look at me, she can hear me. "I love you. No matter what happens." I lean closer to her and kiss her gently, my lips as light against hers as an angel's kiss.

I know I need to leave; I have to end whatever is going to happen with Malak. I press one last fleeting kiss to her lips, stepping back and smiling warmly at her. "I love you," I say again, turning and starting off to find Malak.

I feel a rush of courage and power course through me, grinning as I cut through a door. Bastila's using her Battle Meditation for me. With the extra burst of power, I hurry forward, trying not to think about what I'm heading off to face.

After coming to many dead ends and finding many circles, I come to a door that simply feels right. I know Malak's behind the door. I draw a deep breath, heading toward it.

The door slides open as though there's a motion sensor that triggers it. Behind it, Malak is waiting, his lightsaber at the ready.

I barely get my blade up in time to defend myself; he rushes at me and nearly slices off my head with his first attack.

I parry it quickly, grunting against his strength. The man is over six and a half feet tall, and judging by the amount of force he's applying to our locked blades, he's almost all muscle.

With a quick jump, I'm momentarily out of his range. I use that moment to my advantage, sizing him up quickly. Before I can even register what I've just thought about, he's on top of me again. He kicks me in the chest, knocking me onto the floor. I feel my lightsaber slip out of my hand, swearing inwardly.

A split-second later, I'm pinned down by his foot. It's resting heavily on my throat and cutting off my air supply. He has my lightsaber in his hand, and his is ready to drop blade-first into my chest. The intensity of the evil sneer on his face makes me want to puke. I would, too, if I could breathe.

As black spots infiltrate my vision, Malak suddenly leaps away, grunting. I hear the hum of a lightsaber blade flying over my head, immediately coming to my senses. I roll away from him and get to my feet, my ears picking up the sound of Bastila yelling. I look around, realizing that I've rolled into the hallway.

"Kat, get out of here! I'll hold him off; you go and find the Star Forge!"

Malak's bearing down on Bastila, who's standing there looking both terrified and defiant. Her gaze flicks to me, and she throws me a quick, uneasy glance. "Get out of here!" she repeats, using the Force to pull my lightsaber out of Malak's hand. She throws my weapon to me, motioning to the door as she uses her own lightsaber to block an attack that Malak's laying on her.

I catch the lightsaber easily, hesitating only for a split second. I ignite the blade and run toward Malak and Bastila, determined to protect Bastila from harm if I can.

Bastila sees me coming and shuts the door between us with the Force, keeping me away from her and Malak.

"NO!" I scream, dropping my lightsaber and rushing toward the door. Blood is roaring in my ears and I'm vaguely aware that I'm crying and screaming. I throw myself against the door repeatedly, trying my best to break it down and get to Bastila.

I feel someone grab me and I somehow know it's Carth. He hauls me away from the door and back to the _Ebon Hawk_. He leaves me in the middle of the commons, heading to the cockpit. I slump to the floor and sit there in a heap.

I can hear someone talking to me, and the voice registers as Mission's.

"Kat? Are you okay? Where's Bastila?" she asks, kneeling at my side and touching my shoulder gently.

Her words only cause me to cry harder. Mission wraps her arms around me, worriedly murmuring soothing things to me as she tries to calm me down enough to respond to her questions.

Before I can respond, though, Carth comes back into the commons and yelps with surprise when he sees Mission and I. "Get away from her, Mission," he cries, rushing toward us and pulling her away from me. "She's dangerous!"

"What are you talking about?" Mission responds frustratedly, pulling herself out of his arms and moving back to my side. "Can't you see she's crying?"

Carth snorts in response, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes in response.

Mission shoots him a glare, kneeling beside me again and helping me calm down. By the time my crying slows enough for me to be able to talk, the rest of the crew has assembled in the commons and Carth is looking angry enough to attack me.

"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" Carth asks venomously.

"I… I will," I choke out, closing my eyes and drawing a deep breath. "I'm… I'm Revan. Darth Revan."

Sounds of surprise fill my ears and I open my eyes to see most of the crew gaping at me.

"Whoa," Mission says, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is… this is big. Do you remember anything from being the Dark Lord? Anything at all?"

I shake my head in response, wondering if the crew will accept me after this revelation I've made. "Not really. Just… just a few bits and flashes here and there."

"That's it?" Mission looks relieved. "Then I don't think there's a problem. If you can't remember being the Dark Lord, then what's the danger?"

"Mission, don't you get it?" Carth cries. "Revan's been here the whole time, listening to our plans and strategies, and now she can go and turn us in to the Sith!"

I open my mouth to protest, but Mission beats me to it.

"Kat wouldn't do that!" she shoots back.

"I'm sorry," I say quietly, wishing there was some way I could atone for all the pain I wrought upon the Republic. "I'm so sorry, you guys."

"What's there to be sorry for?" Canderous asks. "I mean, so you had a bump to the head and don't remember anything. Yet you're still the strongest Jedi out there. That's gotta be 'the Force.' I don't see any way it couldn't be." He salutes me, a proud grin stretching across his face. "I'm your man until the end, Kat. You've got my word."

One by one, the rest of the crew expresses their loyalty to me and reassures me that they won't let me down when it comes down to the showdown with Malak.

Carth looks astonished that no one else is taking it as hard as he is, and turns and stalks off to the cockpit.

I'm suddenly exhausted from all my crying, so I get up and, with the help of Mission and Juhani, head toward the dorm. I shake off Mission and Juhani's arms as I head to the dorm. Once there, I collapse onto the nearest bed, burying my face in the pillow as I curl my arms around it.

I freeze when I inhale; I'm laying on Bastila's bed. I can smell her perfume on the pillow.

"Oh, Bas," I mumble, burying my face in her pillow. I reluctantly get up for just a moment to kick off my boots and climb into the bed, nestling myself underneath the covers. I'm surrounded by the scent of her, cuddled deep within her bed. Fresh tears burn in my eyes and I cry myself to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

WOO!! An update!!!  
Yes, I've been piddling along, trying my best to get something written [dang writer's block] and it dawned on me that I had about five pages written. So I figured I'd give y'all an update. =]

Here, in all its glory, is Chapter 8.

* * *

The _Leviathan_ had taken us halfway across the galaxy, nearly tripling the distance to the planet that was home to the last Star Map. Carth had said something about it taking us a few weeks to reach out destination.

Mission comes in every day and plays Pazaak with me, and I know she's worried about me. I haven't been myself since the _Leviathan_. She tries not to bring up Bastila, and I think, for the first time, she realizes that Bastila and I were closer than we acted around her and the rest of the crew.

After about a week, even I know I'm acting pathetic, and I finally emerge from the dorm and head into the commons. I sit down on the nearest seat and glance around the commons. Canderous is there, playing Pazaak with Mission and Zaalbar. As far as I know, Carth is in the cockpit, trying his best to get us to our destination as quickly as possible.

When the card game is finished, I'm greeted with smiles and a howl from Zaalbar. They invite me to join their game, but I turn them down, saying that I'd rather think about what I'm going to say to Carth; he still doesn't want to talk to me or have anything to do with me. I know if we're ever going to work together again, he and I are going to have to overcome it. Besides, I miss him; he and I had been pretty close. Best friends, even. If I have to go much longer without him, I'm not sure what I'll do.

Somehow, in the back of my mind, I know this day holds some importance, but at the moment, I can't think of why. My thoughts are on Bastila, and on Carth.

After a few more minutes, I sigh to myself and get to my feet. It's now or never, and though I may act like it, I'm not sure if I'll ever feel ready to confront Carth.

I start to head up the hallway, but before I can make it all the way to the cockpit, I hear T3-M4 beeping as he rolls toward me. I stop and look at the droid, who comes to a halt at my feet. He beeps and whistles a few times, but I don't understand him. "What is it, T3?" I ask, kneeling down so I'm on the same level as his optical sensor.

T3 rolls away from me and maneuvers himself into the security room, the only room along the cockpit hallway. I follow him in there curiously, wondering why in the world he wants to show me something.

T3 rolls over to the largest computer screen and opens up a port. A piece of metal on his casing slides open and a jack that hooks his memory banks to the computer plugs into the port. T3-M4 beeps a few times, then the screen lights up.

My eyes are drawn to the screen as an image flickers onto it. I stand there staring at the screen, silent as Bastila's image fills it.

Bastila grins uncertainly, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one's behind her. "Ready, T3?" she asks quietly, settling herself before the camera.

There's a beeping noise from the video, and Bastila nods. A full-fledged grin breaks out across her face. "Happy Birthday, Kat!" she says enthusiastically. "I wanted to surprise you with this, and I really hope I did." Her nervousness disappears as she speaks, and I can see the tenderness in her expression. "I love you, Kat. I feel so honored to know you as you begin this next year of your life. I can't begin to tell you how special you are to me, how wonderful a person you are. I don't know how I'd ever even lived before I met you." She blushes a little, looking embarrassed that she said what she had, but her smile doesn't disappear.

"Um… I… I did a little shopping while we were on Dantooine, but I'm not going to make it easy for you to find your gift." A wicked smile spreads across her face. "But I'll give you one hint: it's beneath the place you'd love to spend every minute of your day." She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, a smug expression flashing across her face for the briefest of moments, soon replaced by one of the most sincere, caring expressions I've ever seen.

"Anyway, Kat, I really do love you more than anything or anyone else in the entire universe. I hope you have a great birthday. And," she adds as a side note. "If you're wondering how I knew what day your birthday is, I had T3 hack into the computer and look it up." She chuckles softly, leaning forward and looking straight into the camera, into my eyes. "I love you," she whispers, blowing me a kiss.

The playback cuts off and the screen goes dark.

T3 unplugs himself from the computer and rolls around me and out of the room. I'm vaguely aware that tears are running down my cheeks. I can't believe that such an amazing woman thinks so much of me. Just seeing that simple message from her makes me realize how pathetic I've been for the past week. Moping around won't do anything to save Bastila from Malak's clutches.

With a determined air, I wipe the tears out of my eyes and turn and head out of the security room. I head up the hallway, returning Carth's gaze evenly when he looks up to see who's entered the cockpit.

"Carth," I say, surprising myself with how strong I sound. "I think we need to talk."

After an hour of butting heads with Carth, he finally breaks down into tears and says he's sorry. Seeing the misery he's in, I get a little teary, too.

"Kat, I… I never should have blamed you. For anything. It wasn't your fault. I was just… I was looking for someone to blame for my wife's death…" He stops for a moment, gazing at me with something strange I can't place in his eyes. "I owe you everything, Kat. You've kept me sane this entire time. You've given me a future, and I want to give you one, too. I… I love you."

He leans toward me, and I can tell he's coming in for a kiss. Something inside me is repulsed by the mere thought; it'd be like kissing my brother! I turn my head at the last second, leaving Carth to kiss my cheek.

"Carth, I can't. I'm sorry," I say quietly, looking back at him only to see the hurt expression that's residing on his face. "I just… I can't love you like that."

Carth looks strangely confused, though realization dawns in his eyes after a brief moment. "It's Bastila, isn't it," he whispers, his eyes wide.

I nod slowly, not sure how the news will affect one of my closest friends. Bastila and I had done everything we could to keep from letting Carth in on our relationship, knowing that it would most likely hurt him, and might even disgust him. The last thing we needed was dissension among the crew members.

"Oh," he says as he works through the sudden influx of information. "That's why you two… oh."

I nod again, not sure of what else to do.

Carth struggles with the idea for a minute before swallowing hard and looking me in the eye. "I… I think I need some time to adjust to this." He rubs his face, looking tired all of a sudden.

"Okay," I say gently. "Hey, why don't you go grab some shut-eye? You look beat."

"Well," Carth starts to say, looking at the pilot's seat uncertainly.

"It'll be fine, Onasi." I smile reassuringly, touching his shoulder gently. "I won't crash or anything. I promise."

Carth regards me skeptically for a moment, finally giving me a small smile. "Okay, but if I wake up and we're dead, I'll kill you."

I stick my tongue out at him. "I'd love to see you try! Especially what with us being dead, and all."

Carth chuckles and walks off down the hallway and I slip into the pilot's seat. With a few taps on the keyboard, I power up the engines to full speed and we shoot off into space.

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

I work harder to find that last Star Map than I've ever worked in my life. I know it's the last thing separating me from saving Bastila. Carth and Mission actually have to force Jolee to sedate me; I won't rest. Thankfully, my sleep is dreamless. The last thing I need is dreams of Bastila being tortured or killed.

Canderous comes with me, and I'm glad he's there; without his fighting abilities, I'd have been dead way before this. Together, we find the Star Map, hidden deep beneath the waves of Manaan.

I turn and look at Canderous as the Star Map hisses open, the coordinates becoming visible in the air. My eyes fill with tears of relief. Canderous catches my eye and flashes me a grin as he records the coordinates on a data pad. "Ready to go save your girl?" he asks through the COM link as he stashes the data pad in his pocket.

I flash him a thumbs-up, not trusting my voice. Canderous pretends not to notice when I blink back tears, instead leading me back toward the submarine.

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

When we get back to the _Ebon Hawk_, Carth, Canderous, and Mission all gang up on me, making sure that I rest. I oblige them, realizing that my constant working to find the Star Map had completely worn me out. I head to the fresher first, taking a hot shower. The warmth nearly puts me to sleep before I can get out and make my way to the dorm.

When I walk to the dorm, I collapse onto the nearest bed, realizing as I start to doze off that it's Bastila's bed. I wryly think to myself how pathetic it is that almost every time since she's been gone I've slept in her bed. If only she were here in bed with me, I'd want to spend every minute of my life here…

Something about that sentence strikes me as odd, and I can picture Bastila's mischievous grin. I sit bolt upright, surprised that I don't manage to hurt myself. My mind shoots back to the birthday video Bastila had secretly made for me, replaying her quote "it's under the place that you'd like to spend every minute of your day."

I roll out of the bed quickly, dropping to my hands and knees on the floor to look beneath Bastila's bed. There's a box, partially hidden by a metal support beam. With a shaking hand, I reach for it, pulling the box out from underneath the bed and into my hands.

I stare at the box for a few seconds, wondering when Bastila found the time to go shopping for me. It had seemed like we hadn't spent a moment apart since we first kissed. Even as I think, my fingers are gently lifting the lid of the box.

A gasp escapes my lips as I stare at the contents of the box. A beautiful titanium bracelet is in the box, my name etched into the side of it in elegant calligraphy.

My jaw drops open as I remove the bracelet from its container, slipping it onto my wrist. It fits perfectly, not too tight, not too loose. A note in the bottom of the box catches my eye, Bastila's small script jumping out at me.

_I just can't say it enough!  
I love you, Kat!!!_

A smile stretches across my face as tears sting my eyes. "I love you, too, Bas," I whisper to no one, putting the box back together and sliding it back underneath the bed. I climb back into the bed and pull the covers around myself, letting my exhaustion take over as I fall asleep.

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

"Kat," someone calls softly, shaking my shoulder gently.

I groan, burying my face in the pillow.

"Wake up, Kat," the voice says, shaking me a little more firmly.

I open one eye to see Carth standing by my bed, a smile on his face. I stick my tongue out at him, rubbing my face with my hands as I stifle a yawn. "What?" I ask him groggily. "Unless someone's bleeding, dying, or we're being attacked, I'm not getting up."

Carth laughs, shaking his head. "You're pathetic, you know that?" He dodges the pillow I throw at him, becoming serious. "Kat, we're there."

"There?" I perk up as soon as I realize what 'there' he's talking about. I sit bolt upright in the bed, my heart skipping a beat. I feel the color drain from my face.

Carth nods soberly, a shadow of a smile on his face. "Yeah, Kat. We did it… Do you wanna see it?"

I'm out of the bed before Carth can even begin to think about blinking. Within a minute, I've pulled on my tunic and robe and am hopping into my boots as Carth watches in wonderment.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone dress that fast in my life," he comments as we walk out of the dorm to the cockpit.

I nod, brushing off his comment. My mind is busy with more important matters, namely, saving Bastila and destroying the Star Forge.

My mind is cleared of all thoughts when I step into the cockpit and I look upon the massive structure that is the Star Forge. The sight takes my breath away, and I'm left standing there at a loss for words as I gaze at what is possibly the oldest structure in the entire galaxy. A large blue planet is slowly rotating below the Star Forge, creating a jaw-dropping background.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Carth asks quietly from behind me.

I swallow and nod, watching as the station draws energy from a star it's floating above. How could something so amazing, so beautiful, be used for such horrors?? I can't even begin to fathom the corruption and darkness that I know is within the Star Forge; it seems so impossible.

The _Ebon Hawk_ rumbles beneath my feet and Carth quickly steps around me and sinks into the pilot's chair, running some scans as the rumbling begins to worsen.

"What's going on?" I ask sharply, hoping and praying that we don't die now that we're **so** close to the end of our journey.

"We've run into some kind of field; it's pulling us toward that planet." He runs a few more scans, swearing softly. "I can't fight it. You might want to sit down; this is going to be a bumpy ride."


	9. Chapter 9

After Carth manages a considerably smooth crash landing, we all meet in the common room to discuss our plan of action. T3M4 comes in and gives us a damage report; our stabilizers were fried during the landing, among a few other minor things.

Mission runs a few scans and finds that the wreckage of countless other ships litters the planet. "Apparently," she says. "we're not the only ones that got pulled in by that field." She grins at me, but I don't return it; I'm too stressed.

I volunteer to scout out the planet, and Carth decides to come with me to look for some ship wreckage that he might be able to salvage parts from. Immediately after leaving the _Ebon Hawk_, we're attacked by aliens. My lightsaber blade scares them into submission the moment it severs one of their companion's heads.

For some reason, I can understand the aliens, even though theirs is a language that I'm sure I've never heard. Carth, being a soldier, hasn't ever heard of it, either. He stares at me with wide eyes when the aliens and I start to talk. I lift one shoulder in a shrug, both surprised and unsurprised. After all that's happened, I frankly wouldn't be surprised if Malak dropped out of the sky wearing a tutu and started performing a tap dance with a Wookiee.

I can sense evil intentions within the aliens, and when they ask us to accompany them to their encampment, I refuse. The aliens are angered by my refusal, and they charge at us.

"What the hell?" Carth yells at me, firing countless rounds from his blaster. "They could have helped us! Maybe even told us how to get off this hunk of rock!"

"I don't think so," I reply, neatly separating an alien's head from his neck. "And how about you leave the decisions up to the person that can actually understand their language, hmm?"

Carth snorts at me, and I can see a hint of a smile on his face as he dodges an alien's attack. I know he's not mad, and that he thinks I'm right, as much as he might hate to admit it. Just as we finish off our last opponent, six or seven more come running around a large rock wall and attack. Carth and I share a disgusted look before turning to defend ourselves.

By the time the last of our opponents die, Carth and I are both covered in green blood and other muck.

"This is gross," I mutter, looking at myself with a wrinkled nose. "It ranks pretty high on my list of 'gross things I never want to see or do again', actually."

Carth chuckles, the laugh fading when he inhales the putrid scent of the slime covering him. "I'll second that. But what are we gonna do about it?" Carth looks at me curiously, trying to shake some of the goop from his legs by hopping back and forth.

I shrug, wondering if we might be able to wash it off in the ocean. Carth must think of my idea at the same time, because he glances over his shoulder toward the waves, then turns and gestures for me to follow. He leads me waist-deep into the brine, and we both start washing ourselves off.

Carth tries to start a splash fight, but I'm suddenly wrapped up in the gravity of what we are about to do. My gaze drifts up into the sky, where the Star Forge is but a small shadow of itself. I try to imagine for a moment that that small structure in the sky is creating millions upon millions of ships for the Sith. Somewhere up there, Bastila's either being tortured by Malak, or is training under him to kill me.

Tears sting my eyes and I swallow hard, trying to get that image out of my head.

Carth pauses and looks up at me, following my gaze up to the Star Forge. "… Kat?" he calls after a moment, turning back to me. "You okay?"

I press my lips together firmly and nod, trying not to cry. I have to be strong for Bastila.

Carth hesitates for a moment, then wades through the water and comes over and wraps his arms around me in a comforting hug. "She'll be okay, Kat. She loves you too much to die like that."

That does it. I begin crying so hard that Carth has to hold me up. "B-but… she sacrificed h-herself… for me," I manage to choke out after nearly five minutes of sobbing. "She was ready to die for me!"

Carth grins reassuringly. "That's just more proof that she loves you, Kat. She was more worried for you than she was for herself." He reaches up and moves a wet clump of hair out of my face. "Don't worry about Bastila, Kat. She's tough. She'll make it." He releases me, starting to head for the shore, pausing and turning to look back at me. "Now, ready to figure out how to get off this rock?"

Even though my hands are wet, I somehow manage to wipe the tears out of my eyes. With a nod, I follow Carth up and out of the surf.

I offer Carth a small smile when he turns to look at me, letting him know that I'm going to be strong and work to save Bastila until it kills me. Carth looks a little relieved before he grins again. "All right, which way should we go?" he asks. "After all, you're the one that's been here before, I assume, seeing as you understood those aliens."

I stick my tongue out at him, looking around. "Yeah, and I totally remember this place. Right down to the native creatures." My tone is so sarcastic, it's almost sickening.

Carth shrugs, following my example and looking around. "Well, I thought it was worth a shot," he says. "There's always a chance that you'll remember, you know."

I sigh, trying not to think about what could happen if I did start remembering my time as Revan. With a shudder, I push away thoughts of myself murdering countless innocents, focusing on the landscape around me. Nothing looks familiar.

"Crap." I look over at Carth, nodding in the direction that the aliens came from. "Ready to go exploring?"

_..-=**=-.._..-=**=-.._

After finding our way to the entrance of a large temple and fighting off countless rancor beasts, I finally start to see things that look familiar.

"Wait a minute, Carth," I say as he sits down on a rock. "I think there's something over there." I point at what appears to be a rock wall.

Carth looks over at the rock wall, then back to me with a weary look. "Kat, it's a rock wall. It's gotta be almost a hundred and twenty degrees out here. You've got to be getting delirious." As if he's emphasizing his point, he reaches up and wipes his brow.

"No," I protest, walking toward the rock wall slowly. "I'm serious. I remember something being there."

"Then go look. I'll be right here." Carth closes his eyes and settles himself against the rock, grabbing what little rest he can.

I roll my eyes at him and head toward the rock. As I approach, I see that there's actually two rock walls with a path cut between them. From where Carth is, it looks like one wall.

"Hey, Carth!" I call, positioning myself just right and turning to face him.

He looks up at me, watching as I wave.

"Now you see me," I yell to him before stepping behind the other rock wall. "And now you don't!" Hidden from Carth's sight, I laugh at my own pathetic joke.

A minute later, Carth walks around the rock wall I'm standing behind. "You dork," is all he says, grinning at me. Together, we walk down the path and toward the sound of the waves. Along the way, we pause at a large wreck; Carth says it looks like a ship the same size as the _Ebon Hawk_ crashed and maybe he can salvage a few parts. He emerges from the wreckage a few minutes later, holding up a few parts victoriously.

I applaud with a grin, gesturing that we continue. As we walk along, I remember that the thing I sensed around there was another alien enclave. Just after I voice the thought to Carth, we round a corner and find the enclave.

I stand there in stunned silence, the scene before me looking so familiar that I know for a fact I've been here before. Carth and I share a glance and, after a moment, we cautiously approach the enclave. Before we get to the entrance, a small hologram pops up before us.

"State your business with the Elders," it says in the alien language.

"I need to get into the temple," I respond, wondering where my statement came from. For another moment, I'm clueless, but that's when I remember that there's a generator on top of that temple. I'd be willing to bet nearly anything that that's the source of the disruptor field.

"State your name, outsider," the hologram orders.

"My name is, uh... Revan." I cringe at the way the name rolls off my tongue; it just can't have been my name.

"Ah! Revan!" the hologram exclaims. "The Elder Council has been waiting for you! Please enter at once." The hologram shimmers and disappears, and the outer door of the enclave slides open.

Carth looks at me quizzically, and I quickly translate what was said into Basic.

"I really wish I understood this stuff," Carth grumbles as we head into the enclave. "It'd be so much easier."

"I don't remember the last time 'easier' actually made anything easier," I tell him distractedly, glancing around as we step into the foyer of the enclave. A few meters in front of us, I notice that there's an elderly group of aliens standing before us, conversing with each other in quiet tones. They pause in their conversation and look up at us uneasily, and I immediately stop, catching Carth's arm to stop him as well.

"Who goes there?" one of the old aliens asks warily.

I bow before answering, and Carth follows my example. "My name is Revan. I believe I've been here before?"

Before I can say anything else, the entire group of aliens are glancing at each other uneasily, all of them looking concerned.

"Yes, Revan, you have," says the alien that I presume is the leader of the enclave. "You promised us that you would help us uncover the secrets of our past. You never returned."

The hurt and obvious feeling of betrayal in the alien's voice makes me feel horrible. "I'm sorry," I say softly, trying to convey my sincerity through my words and facial expression. "If there's any way that I can make it up to you, anything I can do to prove to you that I'm worth trusting this time around…"

The Elder Council members glance at each other, sharing what I assume is a nervous glance. After a moment of their silence, the leader turns back to me. "We must speak in private. Make yourselves comfortable; we will return later."

I nod, bowing as they walk away. After they're gone, I turn back to Carth and shrug. He sighs and walks over to a bench and sits down. I go and sit beside him, casting a glance to the sky. My eyes linger on the Star Forge for a moment, my thoughts going to Bastila. "I love you, Bas," I whisper to the sky, sitting back against the wall and closing my eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Oh man… I AM SO SORRY!!! This update has been extremely long in coming, hasn't it? =\Well, school just got out, so I should have a lot more time to write now. Which is good news for you.

Shouldn't have too much more of this story left. A few more chapters, probably.

Anyway. Reviews would be great!! It's always nice to know I'm not just writing this thing for my health. =P

Enjoy!!

* * *

After the aliens return, they tell me and Carth that the only way they'll know for sure that I'm back and there to fulfill my promise is if I go to their enemy's enclave and rescue some hostages. Which is why Carth and I find ourselves trudging back the way we'd come, headed back toward the _Ebon Hawk_. According to the Elders, there should be a pass that we can use to get to the enemy's enclave.

We stop for a while at the temple; I want to see why it's necessary to get the alien's help to enter the structure. Before we can get too close, however, a strange force field suddenly becomes visible, making the temple look like it's doing a complicated dance.

Carth watches with mild amusement when I pull out my lightsaber and try to cut through the field; the only thing I accomplish is making a lot of sparks.

"This is pointless," he tells me after stomping out a small fire I'd created in the grass around me. "We may as well do what those things want us to; they've probably got a better way to go about this."

I put away my lightsaber and stick my tongue out at him, wiping sweat out of my eyes.

Carth only laughs, turning and heading the way we'd originally come from.

Night is beginning to fall when we near the _Ebon Hawk_, and Carth decides he'd better make a pit stop. I stand around outside the ship anxiously, unnerved by the strange noises in the night. Not a moment too soon, Carth reappears, Canderous following behind him.

"Thought we might need some help," Carth says with a grin, nodding at Canderous.

Canderous raises a brow, a crooked smile on his face as he holds his large repeating blaster. "Let's go kick some alien ass."

I grin, definitely feeling more safe now that Canderous is with us. Carth isn't a bad fighter, don't get me wrong, but there's just something about having a big, strong Mandalorian with you that makes you feel invincible.

I nod a greeting at Canderous, and turn, my eyes searching the rocky beach for any sign of a path. After a moment, I focus on a partially hidden passage that looks like it's been cut into the rock. A tingling in my Force senses tells me that this is the right path, and I motion for the guys to follow me.

We creep through the pitch black night air, being as quiet as we can. Thankfully, the sound of the waves masks the crunching of the sand beneath our boots.

After what seems like hours, the narrow path opens up and turns into another large beach. The only light we have to see by is the star that the Star Forge is feeding off of; there's no moon or anything, so our visibility is low.

I head for what appears to be a large rock, planning to climb on top of it and look around for any signs of an enclave. Before I can get within ten feet, however, Canderous grabs my arm and jerks me away. I glare at him, using my hands and facial expression to ask him why he pulled me away.

Canderous holds up a finger, silently squatting and studying the "rock" for a few moments. Then he reaches out and lifts the rock's eyelid. A red-orange eye stares at me, and I jump back, clapping a hand over my mouth to silence my startled yelp.

Canderous stands and brushes his hands off, throwing me a grin that says _I told you so._

I stare at the creature for a few seconds, expecting it to wake up and attack us. Finally, I tear my gaze away from the beast and look around. From what I can see, the beach stretches on for another mile at least, and is randomly speckled with more of these "rocks."

I flash Canderous a grateful grin, giving the creature a wide berth as I walk around it, heading off down the beach.

We avoid the rest of the creatures, finally coming to a large stone structure. I'm pretty sure this is the enclave; it's been the only real structure for miles, not to mention the construction is similar to that of the Elder Enclave.

Carth, Canderous, and I split up, scouting around the area to see if there's anywhere we can sneak in. I walk along the enclave wall toward the ocean, noting that the walls are too high to climb over. I might be able to reach the top with a Force Jump, but it's not likely; jumping isn't my strong point.

I sigh when I reach the water's edge, the surf lapping at my boots. I'm about to turn around and head back to meet the guys when a dark spot on the side of the enclave catches my eye. I wade knee-deep into the water and shrug off my robe, throwing back onto the beach. I suppress a shiver before sinking into the water and swimming over to what turns out to be a metal grate covering a tunnel leading into the enclave.

I smile and curl my right hand into a triumphant fist, hanging onto the grate with the other hand. I kick away from the grate, swimming back to the beach. I pick up my robe and hurry back to the spot Carth and Canderous are waiting, having finished their explorations.

"You guys find anything?" I ask softly as I near them.

Carth shakes his head, holding up his hands.

"I found a cliff," Canderous answers. "We can get up on there and see the entire layout of the enclave, I think. You?"

"I hope you guys like to swim," I say, cracking a smile. "Because I'm pretty sure I found a way in. But we'd better double-check it using your cliff," I add, nodding at Canderous.

Apparently, he takes that as his cue and starts off, leaving Carth and I to follow in his wake.

Carth, ever the gentleman, takes my robe for me while we walk, giving me his arm to take as we walk along. I know he only means it as a friendly gesture, and I accept it, walking along with him quietly.

"Hey, Carth?" I whisper after we've walked for a good fifteen minutes.

"What?"

"Thanks," I reply, stretching up and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

His pace slows for a moment. "What for?" he asks softly.

"For being my best friend and traipsing all over this damn galaxy with me trying to stop Malak." I grin at him, hoping the darkness hides the tears in my eyes. In all honesty, I'm scared shitless at the thought of having to go face Malak. In fact, I'm almost positive I'm going to die. Better to let everyone know what they mean to me without showing them that I'm afraid; they'll be more likely to pull through this entire mess if they think I'm not worried.

Carth grins at me, shrugging his shoulders. "No problem. But, personally, I can't wait until all this is over. Maybe after Malak's defeated and everything dies down we can all get together and have a 'family reunion' thing. Because, you know, we've all kind of become a family. It'd be fun to meet up every year and see how everyone's getting along, don't you think?"

I nod mutely, watching Canderous begin to climb a rock wall about ten yards in front of us. Carth and I stop as we near the wall, watching as our friend quickly scales the wall and maneuvers himself onto an outcropping.

Carth hands me my robe and glances behind us to make sure that we're not being followed as I pull the dry cloth over my wet clothes. Not an easy process, mind you, even for a Jedi. I roll my eyes at the robe, pushing the sleeves up my arms and studying the wall for good handholds.

A few minutes later, I'm pulling myself onto the ledge and Canderous reaches out to help me. I take his hand gratefully, heaving myself up and turning to help Carth up as well.

"See?" Canderous says, pointing at the large enclave that stretches out below us.

I crawl closer to the edge, surveying the enclave from above. I quickly find the spot we had split up from, retracing my route all the way to the water's edge. My eyes strain to scan the interior of the enclave in the darkness, but then I see what I had been looking for. There's a small pool of water with a fountain in the middle of it, and the water supply is coming through a tunnel in the wall.

"Yes!!" I whisper, pumping my fist in the air again.

Carth and Canderous both look at me quizzically, and I grin at them before examining the enclave further, trying to find anything that looks like a cell block. When I find four large cells connected by a large room, I know I've found my detention center. My eyes quickly trace a path from the fountain to the cells, and I close my eyes, trying to memorize it.

After a moment, I turn and crawl back to the other edge, gesturing that my companions follow. I ease myself back onto the rock wall and climb down, waiting for them at the bottom. When they reach the sand, I begin leading them back to the ocean. "I was right," I tell them quietly, trying to contain my excitement. Finally, things seem to be looking up.

I shed my outer robe once again, then the three of us wade into the water, swimming over to the tunnel. I grab hold of the grate once more, jiggling it to see if it's loose or not. "Hey, Canderous, give me a hand with this, will you?"

The Mandalorian strokes over to me, gripping the grate and giving it a sharp tug. The metal grate doesn't budge. Carth swims over and tries to help, too, but the grate isn't going to give.

Canderous pauses, patting his pockets to see if he has any sort of tool he can use. He comes up empty, glancing at Carth, who shakes his head. When both men turn their gazes on me, I stare back at them blankly. "What?" I ask.

Canderous rolls his eyes. "Your lightsaber!" he hisses, gesturing at the grate. "Cut through it so we can get in!"

A sheepish grin flickers on my face. "Oh." I pull the hilt out of it's sheath on my waist, holding the weapon out of the water and igniting it. The hum seems deafening in the silence, and I pray that the sound of the waves will cover the sound of my lightsaber.

The blue glow definitely makes it easier to see in the darkness, and I immediately set to work at cutting away the grate. Within two minutes, the metal barrier slips into the water soundlessly, disappearing under the waves.

The guys and I share triumphant expressions before debating who should be the first to enter.

"I'm on it," Canderous volunteers almost immediately. He pulls a switchblade from his back pocket and flashes me a thumbs-up before swimming through the tunnel.

I stifle a groan, rolling my eyes at Carth. "He's going to kill anything and everything that moves the minute he gets in there, isn't he?"

"Probably," Carth agrees, looking disgusted. He and I sigh, then follow Canderous into the tunnel.

The tunnel ducks underneath the water a few yards in, and I draw a large breath before ducking under the surface of the water and kicking into the tunnel. I swim for so long it feels like my lungs might explode, but then my head is breaking the surface of the pool.

Canderous pulls me out of the pool, and I slump to the ground, trying to silently gasp for breath. Carth surfaces noisily behind me and drags himself out of the pool, flopping on the ground beside me.

Canderous slinks off down a hallway, his knife at the ready. He returns a few minutes later, when Carth and I have recovered from lack of oxygen. "Halls are clear," he says, looking disappointed. His blade isn't bloodied, so I know that there were no guards in the halls.

"That's weird," I murmur. "What kind of place is this that they wouldn't put any guards out at night?"

Carth shrugs. "I guess they feel pretty confident in their ability to fight at a moments notice."

I wince, wishing he hadn't said that; it makes perfect sense. Especially if these are the same aliens that Carth and I first encountered… The memory of the foul alien blood comes rushing back to me and I shudder, brushing the thought out of my mind as I get to my feet.

"Okay, now, before I forget, let's go," I say, trying to orient myself now that I'm inside the enclave and not looking down on it. After a moment, I set off down a hallway to my left, making my way carefully and quietly.

I make a few wrong turns, muffling my cursing each time I do so. Carth and Canderous follow along silently, weapons at the ready.

After nearly half an hour, I know we're creeping down the right path. I can see where the hallway branches out into a large room in front of us, and I step up the pace a little. "We're almost there," I whisper over my shoulder, just loud enough so my friends can hear me.

Minutes later, we step into the large room. It's just like I saw from the cliff; there's four large cells branching off from the room. I turn and shrug at my companions. "They've gotta be in one of these cells," I say, gesturing to the large doors in the walls of the room. "Do you want to split up and look, or stick together?"

"I think we should split up," Carth says. "It's getting closer to dawn, so we need to hurry it up if we want to get of here unnoticed."

I agree, and we split up, Carth heading across the room to check those cells while Canderous ambles along beside me.

"So," he says as we near the cell doors. "How're you doing?"

I shrug in response. "I'm just… tired. I'm tired of this whole damn war against Malak. If I knew it would stop all this madness, I'd sacrifice myself in a minute."

"But what about Bastila?" Canderous asks softly, his voice gentle; he knows how much she means to me.

I falter, drawing a breath. "She'd be safe, so I'd be happy." It's my honest answer. Yes, I'd miss her more than anything else in the entire galaxy, but it would make me happy to know that she was okay.

"She'd be heartbroken," Canderous muses out loud. "She might even kill herself just to be with you."

I close my eyes for a moment, stopping and catching Canderous' arm. "End of conversation," I tell him firmly, completely and utterly done with the topic. That's the last thing I want to think about right now, anyway.

Canderous shrugs. "Fair enough." He turns away from me and heads over to the nearest cell, peering through the gate that serves as a door. I guess no one's in there because he shrugs again and steps away, looking over toward Carth to see if he'd found anything yet.

I head over to the other door on this half of the room, peering in through the gate. I swallow a startled yelp, having seen another creature that, in the dark, resembles a boulder. The only scary part is that this one is at least twice the size of the beasts we'd seen on the beach. The smell of rotting flesh invades my nostrils and I turn away, shuddering.

"Over here," Carth calls as loud as he dares.

Canderous and I look over to the cell his voice is emanating from, both of us surprised to see the door is open and Carth is inside. We rush over, and by the time we arrive outside the gate, Carth has a weak Elder alien slung over his shoulders and is walking out toward us.

"He's alive, but barely. I don't know what he was saying, but he sounded scared." Carth pauses to shift the alien's weight, then directs his gaze at me. "You mind asking him what he said?"

I immediately move over until I'm near the alien's head. "Hello?" I call softly in the alien language.

The alien's eyes flutter open and, after a moment, focus on me. "What do you need?" he asks weakly.

"We're here to help you," I soothe him. "But I need to know if there are others with you."

The alien shakes his head, the motion barely visible. "They have all died. I am the last one of my people trapped here."

I rest my hand on his long forehead, quickly healing him as much as I can at the moment and putting him into a deep sleep. He immediately goes limp.

"Did he die?" Carth asks, sounding nervous. I can imagine why; holding an alien that's died resting on your shoulders would be more than a little spooky.

"No," I reply, dusting my hands off on my still-damp tunic. "He's asleep. He said he was the last one in here, so I guess we can get out of here."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting him out of here?" Canderous asks, gesturing at the alien with a smug smile. "An unconscious alien can't swim too well, can he?"

I swear under my breath; I hadn't even thought about that yet. "I have no idea." I stare at the alien and chew on my lower lip for a moment, deep in thought. "Scratch that," I say as an idea occurs to me. "I think I've got something. I'll fill you in as we go, okay?"

Carth and Canderous follow me once again as we creep through the halls. I notice that the edge of the sky is starting to turn pink and pray that the aliens are late risers.

"So what's the plan?" Canderous asks as we round a corner.

"You two are going to swim back through the tunnel and leave him inside with me. When you get out there, grab my robe and use it like a stretcher. I'll float him over the wall and down so you can catch him on my robe. Then, I'll swim out and we'll be home free." I flash him a hopeful grin. "At least, that's what I'm planning on. Sound good to you?"

Canderous returns my smile and nods.

After a moment we reach the pool. Carth kneels and slides the alien off his shoulders into Canderous and my waiting hands. We lower the alien to the ground gently, and Carth and Canderous ease themselves into the pool. Canderous leaves first, slipping beneath the water and disappearing. Carth follows almost immediately after him, giving me an uneasy glance before he disappears, too.

I wait for a few minutes, glancing nervously down the hallway every few seconds, expecting an alien to spot me.

"Kat?" Carth's voice calls, startling me. "You there?"

"Yeah," I reply as loud as I dare. "Ready?"

"Take your time," Canderous replies sarcastically.

If Canderous could see me, I'd stick my tongue out at him. Instead, I close my eyes and focus on the limp alien in front of me. I visualize him floating in the air and going over the stone wall before me. When I feel a warm tingling sensation running up and down my spine, I know it's working. Using the Force, I guide the alien's body over the wall and lower him down until I hear Canderous and Carth telling me they've 'got him.'

I shake myself out of my little trance, grinning and turning to get into the pool. Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. I swear inwardly, using a pulse of the Force to distract the patrolling alien as I slip into the pool and draw a breath. I slip beneath the water and swim harder than I ever remember swimming before.

When I break the surface of the water on the other side of the underwater portion of the tunnel, I ignore my urge to gasp for breath again, swimming out of the tunnel and around to the beach. I drag myself onto the beach, laying on the sand weakly. My body seems to have realized that I've been running around for almost twenty-four hours; I'm so exhausted I could pass out.

"Kat? You okay?" Carth's voice cuts through my exhaustion like a knife and I stand up, shaking my head to clear it.

"I'm good," I say, flashing him a smile before checking the sun's position in the sky. "We'd better hurry back to the_ Hawk_," I add. "We can stop and grab some shut-eye and heal this guy up a little bit before we go back if we hurry."

Carth and Canderous make agreeing noise, and we set off, heading around the creatures on the beach once again.

By the time we arrive back at the _Ebon Hawk,_ the sun has risen and is lighting up the beach. Carth and Canderous take the alien to the medbay so Jolee can set about healing him, while I head for the shower. I take a quick shower, then make my way to the dorms. I collapse onto my bed and immediately fall asleep, dreaming of wonderful dreams of Bastila.

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=]

Reviewers will be rewarded with ice cream!


	11. Chapter 11

Jolee manages to get the alien's condition stable and turns him over to me and Carth. We take him back to the Elder enclave, presenting him to the council there.

The aliens look surprised that we have returned, and after they call a guard to escort their wounded brother to their medical room, they turn to me, watching me intensely. Carth notices the expressions on their faces and retreats to the other side of the wide hallway, giving us some privacy. I shoot him a grateful smile over my shoulder, bowing to the alien leader. "I have returned your lost comrade," I tell them, straightening. "I hope this proves my honesty."

"There were originally four that had been captured," one of the council members says slowly. "Where are the others?"

"Dead," I answer somberly, bowing my head respectfully. "We arrived too late. I apologize and express my deepest sympathies."

The Elders look at each other for a few moments, finally turning back to me. I see what I'm hoping is forgiveness for my past mistakes. "We shall need some time to deliberate on these new findings," the leader says, turning and leading his council away.

I watch them leave, turning to Carth when they've departed.

"What'd they say?" he asks immediately, walking over to me and resting a hand on my shoulder.

I shrug and brush my hair out of my face. "Nothing yet. I apologized about the other aliens being dead, but then they just said that they wanted to go talk a little." I look up into my friend's face. "But, I think they trust me now. I think pretty soon we'll be getting into that temple and off this rock."

Carth grins at me, squeezing my shoulder gently. "I hope so. I'm still having nightmares about our first battle here." He wrinkles his nose and shudders theatrically, making me laugh.

Carth keeps me entertained for a few minutes more, then he calms down and nudges my shoulder when the aliens walk back in. I flash him a grateful smile, turning back to the leader.

"After our deliberation, we have decided that your actions show that you honorable and worthy of our trust. Our Holder of Rituals will be waiting for you outside the Temple of the Ancients tomorrow morning at dawn." His gaze flicks to Carth momentarily before returning to me. "You are to come alone; you will not be granted entrance if you have companions. Will that satisfy you?"

I nod, bowing and thanking them before taking my leave of them. Carth follows me out of the enclave, noticing my triumphant smile and grinning. "I'm guessing you got what you wanted," he says.

I nod at him, doing a little happy dance on the sand. "Tomorrow morning at dawn," I tell him excitedly. "I'm going inside that temple. I'm going to shut down that damn field that's got us grounded, and we're going to get our asses up to that Star Forge and save Bastila and kill Malak." I close my eyes for a moment, saying a silent prayer that no one dies. "Then all this crap will be over and done with."

Carth nods, noticing my seriousness and gripping my hand. "Kat, I don't know if it makes much difference to you, but… I have no doubt that you'll win. I've never met anyone like you before, or Malak, either, but I just… somehow I know that Malak doesn't stand a chance." He stares at me somberly, his eyes portraying his sincerity.

As I throw my arms around him in a fierce hug, I wonder why I never had any sentimental moments like this before. Carth gives me a warm smile, clearing his throat gruffly. "Come on," he says after a moment, releasing my hand and looking off down the beach. "Let's get back to the _Hawk_."

I nod wordlessly and follow him, wondering how I managed to meet the most supportive friends in the entire galaxy.

_..-=*^*=-.._..-=*^*=-.._

I head to the cargo bay and grab something to eat when we arrive back at the _Ebon Hawk_, chewing slowly as I think about what I'm going to do with the rest of the day. I have until dawn tomorrow to prepare myself. I _should _meditate and try to put myself in tune with the Force, but something's telling me that I have something more important to do.

I finish my quick meal and walk out of the cargo bay, letting my feet lead me. A minute later, I end up in the commons, where all my companions are gathered and talking among themselves. I look around at them, memories of times with them flashing in front of my eyes. I know very well that this may be the last time I get to talk, really talk, with them until we go to the Star Forge. There's so much I want to say to them before anything happens…

"Hey, can I talk to you guys?" I ask quietly.

Everyone immediately stops talking and looks at me. I look each of them in the eye, hoping I can make it through this without crying.

"I… I want to say something." I swallow and draw a breath, trying to find the courage to say what I want to say. "You… all of you, you're the most amazing people I've ever met. I'm so proud to have shared this journey with you guys. You've become my family."

I close my eyes for a moment, swallowing the lump that's beginning to form in my throat. This is going to be harder than I'd thought. "Mission," I say, looking directly into her blue eyes. "You're like my little sister. Your energy kept me going when I didn't want to go anymore. Thank you so much," I finish, my voice nearly a whisper. The young Twi'lek launches herself out of her seat toward me, and I open my arms to embrace the girl.

"Thanks, Kat," she mumbles, hugging me tightly.

When Mission releases me, my eyes go to Jolee. A smirk crosses his face and he throws up his hands in a gesture of surrender before I even open my mouth. "Don't get all mushy on me," he says, leaning back in his seat, his eyes twinkling. "I'm too old for that crap."

I grin, blinking back tears. "Yes, Dad," I retort sarcastically, my eyes connecting with his. I'm pretty sure he gets the double meaning of my words; his expression softens for just a second before his smirk is firmly back in place.

Carth gives me a nod when my eyes rest on him, seeming to understand that I've already told him how I feel about him. I grin as happily as I can muster, turning my attention to Canderous.

The gruff Mandalorian is scowling at me, obviously not wanting some fluffy speech made to or about him. I ignore that and start off anyway, promising myself I'll keep it short for his sake. "Thanks for all the help, Big Guy. Having you around helped me, and probably all of us, feel a little safer. Thanks for watching my back."

I thank Zaalbar for his help, knowing that the Wookiee doesn't do well with emotional things, and really not having much to say to him. He's been very kind and helpful, but he's not the most social creature in the world.

Finally, my eyes land on Juhani. She's watching me with a strange intensity, her ears pricking up as I open my mouth to speak. "Juhani, you inspired me. You're so determined to do what's right. Every day, you amaze me with the wonderful giving nature you've got. You've made me see what it really means to be a Jedi, through thick and thin. Thank you." I bow my head in a respectful manner, thanking them all once again.

After a brief moment spent composing myself, I look up at my friends again. "I… I wanted to tell you guys how I feel about you, because… well, we all know what could happen. I know the odds, I know I might not make it." My voice catches in my throat as looks of unease and horror, in Mission's case, cross my friend's faces. "I'm not going to lie to you; I'm scared. But this is something I have to do. I just… had to let you know." I wipe tears from my cheeks with the sleeve of my robe, putting a smile on my face. My smile wobbles, but before it can break, I turn and hurry away.

I'm bawling my eyes out on the engine room floor when I hear footsteps pause outside the door. I wipe my eyes quickly, wrapping my arms around myself and looking up quickly to see who's there. It's Juhani, who looks nervous and almost scared. She shifts her weight from foot to foot, not meeting my gaze. "Katrina, may I speak with you?"

I nod, gesturing for her to sit in front of me.

Juhani quickly moves and kneels before me, still not meeting my gaze. She opens her mouth, then closes it again uncertainly, casting a quick glance at me before looking away again. "I… I want to thank you for what you said a few minutes ago. It meant a lot to me." Her voice is quiet and it sounds like she's choosing her words carefully.

"It's nothing," I respond, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "I just had to let everyone know what they mean to me."

Juhani nods once, still looking uncomfortable. After a long silence, she looks up at me again. "I know. That is what I wished to speak to you about. I… I have a confession of my own to make."

I shift a little bit, much to the relief of my muscles, looking up at Juhani intently. She seems to be waiting for some kind of assent, so I nod once. She hesitates, and I reach out and touch her shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay," I tell her softly.

There's still waves of anxiety flowing off Juhani, but she finally opens her mouth and speaks. "Over the time that I have been traveling with you, I have… I have begun to develop… feelings for you. As more than just my friend. I know I have not been the most social comrade, but..." She looks away, obviously scared of what my reaction will be. "I just… I want to know if you have any room in your heart for me."

I sit there for a long moment, frozen by my companion's words. Of all the things she could have said, this was what I was least expecting.

Juhani chances a glance at me, and when she sees the expression on my face, hurt fills hers. She starts to get up and leave, making soft apologies.

I reach out and catch her wrists, keeping her there with me. I stare at her for a moment, searching her pained expression. I do love her, but not in the romantic way. She's my friend, my comrade. She's not Bastila.

"I'm sorry," I whisper hoarsely. "Juhani, I swear, I am. But I just don't feel that way about you." Juhani tears her gaze away from mine, and I'm sure that she's hiding tears. I continue on, knowing I can't ease her pain. "I thought everyone knew about Bastila and I…"

Juhani is silent for a long moment, then nods. "I suppose I knew that," she answers slowly. "I just hoped…" She shakes her head and pulls her wrists out of my grasp. "I am sorry," she whispers, getting up and leaving me alone and upset that I've hurt her.

_..-=*^*=-.._..-=*^*=-.._

The next morning, I head out of the Hawk, a little nervous and excited. I know today is the day that I'll free us from this planet and send us to the Star Forge. Within the next twenty four hours, I could be facing Malak. I nearly throw up at the thought, instead heading down the now-familiar path toward the Temple of the Ancients.

The early morning air feels very smooth and refreshing as I inhale it. I don't know why it feels different now than it did yesterday, but it just does. And the sunrise… It's almost too beautiful for words. Maybe it's because I have a feeling that this is the last time I'll ever see a sunrise. I suppose I'm just soaking in the last hours I know I'll spend alive, relishing every sensation.

When I arrive at the temple, the Holder of Rituals and four other aliens are already there, waiting on me. They've brought a strangely marked stone with them, and it's sitting in the midst of them.

"Revan," the Holder of Rituals greets me, bowing as he speaks. "We have been expecting you."

I return his bow as I approach. "I'm sorry that I was late. I've been enjoying the scenery. Your planet is absolutely beautiful."

A pleased expression appears on the Holder's face before he gets to business. "Are you ready to enter the temple now? The ceremony will take a few hours, and we can only lower the shield for a few moments."

I grin at him, knowing I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I'm to the point of no return. "I'm ready," I say firmly, looking at the small object in the sky that I know is the Star Forge. _I'm coming, Bas,_ I whisper mentally. _I love you._

The Holder of Rituals turns around and signals that his followers begin. They all kneel and begin chanting.

Not a minute later, the Holder leaps up and turns to look beyond me. "Wait! Someone is coming!"

Just as the words leave his mouth, I hear the sounds of someone yelling. I turn around quizzically, knowing that no one was awake when I left the _Ebon Hawk_. I'd actually tried to leave before anyone woke, not wanting to have to deal with anyone stubbornly trying to accompany me. Besides that, I'd wanted the time on my own to think and focus.

As it just so happens, Jolee and Juhani are the source of the yelling, and I roll my eyes at them as they come closer, embarrassed that they're interrupting the ceremony.

"What do you two need?" I call out in Basic as they approach me. "I'm a little busy."

Jolee shoots me a look that's somewhere between withering and amused. "Don't even start, missy. We've had a premonition that something's inside that temple. Something dark. It's too dangerous for you to go in there alone."

Juhani nods earnestly, apparently happy to let Jolee speak for her. I'm vaguely aware that she's probably still hurting from my rejection, and something in me is proud of her for coming anyway. Jolee clears his throat, snapping me back to the present.

I purse my lips, looking between Jolee and the Holder of Rituals. The alien shrugs at me, obviously clueless as to what Jolee wants. I quickly fill him in on what my crewmates have told me, and my words almost immediately set the alien off.

"That is impossible!" he cries, suddenly looking very agitated. "Only one may enter the Temple of Ancients at a time!"

"Why?" I ask him, wincing at the whine that's entered my voice. "You've told me that, like, ten times, but you've never said why."

"It's tradition," the alien answers firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jolee rolls his eyes and huffs at the alien. "I don't know what he's saying, but it sounds like your guide is being stubborn. Do some quick talking or something; we're going to run out of time if we stand around and let Malak have all the time he wants."

Juhani looks at me seriously. "Yes, Kat. And do not try to make us leave; we won't let you go into that temple alone and let you get killed."

Something tells me that Juhani's words hold more meaning than she's letting on, but I ignore it, not wanting to deal with the reason right now. I turn to the alien and argue with him for a few minutes, and finally he relents, saying that my friends can come with me.

"But be cautious," he warns. "The last time anyone entered the temple with a companion was when you and Malak were here. When you came out you were… changed." The alien stares at me intensely for a few moments, turning and restarting the ritual.

I glance over my shoulder at Jolee, swallowing past a nervous lump in my throat.

He nods understandingly, clapping me on the shoulder before watching the aliens' ritual with mild interest.

After an hour or two, the aliens stop chanting, and the strange field that's surrounding the temple shimmers brightly, then drops.

"Run!" I call over my shoulder to Jolee and Juhani, taking off at a sprint to get inside the temple before the aliens' ritual fails and the shield raises again. We make it inside just seconds before the shield flickers back into place. I stop and turn to make sure my companions made it in, letting out a sigh of relief when I see that they have. My eyes drift over Jolee's shoulder and meet the Holder's. He nods once, his gaze intense.

I return the gesture, knowing that he and his people are counting on me not to screw up again.

"Come on, guys," I say quietly, turning my gaze back to my friends. "The entire galaxy is counting on us."

With that thought in mind, we head into the temple, not knowing what awaits us, the weight of the galaxy sitting on our shoulders.


	12. Chapter 12

Hiya! Here's the newest installment of my story. Again, thanks to wolfschlitzen; he's been a huge help. And of course, thanks to you people that are reading. =]

* * *

The inside of the Temple of the Ancients is crawling with Sith droids and young apprentices. If it wasn't for Jolee being a master at healing wounds, we'd all have been cut into hundreds of small pieces by now.

The stone walls dividing the rooms all look alike, and the layout of the temple is like a huge labyrinth. I could swear that we spend hours going in circles, but eventually, we find a hallway that leads down into the temple catacombs.

Thankfully, the only enemies we find down there are droids. There's only two of them, which we finish off easily. I look around the large room as I wipe sweat from my brow, noticing an old computer terminal at the far end of the room.

My inner geek kicks in and I head over to the computer, wondering if it's still working. I poke and punch buttons like a kid with a new toy, and give an excited squeak when the computer comes to life.

Jolee snorts at me, and I turn to him in time to catch him rolling his eyes at my antics. I stick my tongue out at him before turning back to the computer. After struggling with the user interface, I finally am able to bring up a map. I stare at it for a few minutes, committing the image to memory. We'd been throughout the entire temple, except for one room we'd managed to skip. Naturally, that was the room that led to the roof. An icon appears when my hand nears a dot on the rooftop, and I touch the screen gently, pleased when the computer displays information about a computer that 'controls a disruptor field that surrounds the planet.'

After another quick glance at the map, I power down the computer, turning back to my companions. "Would you believe," I say as we start heading back the way we'd come. "that the only door we didn't try is the right one?"

Jolee groans and Juhani lets out a disgusted mewl as we begin climbing the hallway to the main level. I don't blame them; this hallway's a lot steeper than it looks. When we finally reach the top, we're all gasping for breath and sharing looks of equal displeasure.

"Which way now, lass?" Jolee pants, his hand massaging a stitch in his side.

I rub a hand over my face, the hair on the back of my neck standing up suddenly. A shiver passes through me and I look over at Jolee and Juhani, who are both looking a little startled, too. I share a look with Jolee, who nods at me.

"Someone's here," I whisper unnecessarily. There's a new presence nearby. I can't tell who it is, but it's dark, and yet, it almost feels familiar. My heart nearly stops when I think about the possibility that it could be Malak lurking around; it would explain both qualities about the presence.

I open my mouth to tell Jolee and Juhani to escape while they can, but the determination on my friends' faces kills that thought.

"Well?" Jolee asks after I stand there silently for a few long moments. I look at him uneasily, unsurprised when he shoots me a dry look. "Are you going to lead the way, or not?" he prompts, crossing his arms over his chest.

As if on autopilot, my feet turn and begin taking me through the temple, following the route I've just memorized.

We walk through many twists and turns, finally coming to a large stone door. It looks as though it hasn't been opened in eons. The presence is a little stronger now, and I can tell it's coming from the rooftop. With a shaking hand, I reach out and touch the door. The stone jumps to life at my touch, sliding out of the way soundlessly.

My palms start sweating as I look upon the hallway that slants toward the sky. I start walking up the hall, the presence growing stronger with each step.

As I approach the door at the top of the hallway, it slides open, revealing a large room with a door to the outside. I breathe a sigh of relief; I'd nearly been expecting Malak to charge at me the moment the door opened, but he's nowhere to be found.

Jolee throws me an anxious glance as he walks up beside me, letting me know through his expression that he can sense the growing strength of the strange presence as well. I notice that the fur on the back of Juhani's neck is standing on end and she's trying to contain a growl in the back of her throat.

With an underhand wave, I motion for my companions to calm down and stay put while I cautiously head to the door. Staying within the temple, I step into the ray of bright sunlight, trying to shield my eyes from the sun with my hand, but I still have to squint to see. When my eyes finally adjust, my heart leaps into my throat and stops midbeat.

It's Bastila.

An insane thought runs through my head: _I hope Jolee doesn't clap me on the shoulder. It'd be embarrassing to collapse in front of Bastila._ Thankfully, Jolee merely comes and stands beside me, silently supporting me. Juhani follows Jolee's lead, standing on my other side.

I swallow a strangled sob, staring at Bastila. I can't quite make out her face, but I know it's her, as much as I hate to believe it.

Sure enough, it's her voice that meets my ears a moment later. "Come out, Revan! I know you're in there!"

I step forward, strangely drawn to the harsh, snide tone of her voice. I guess I want to see what Malak has done to her, how he's harmed her while turning her to the dark side.

When I hesitate before taking my second step, Jolee reaches out and touches my arm. "Go on, lass," he says. "Waiting won't do you any good."

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to calm the swirling sea of emotions inside me. I open my eyes a moment later, nodding resolutely. With what I'm hoping appears as courage (though in reality, I bet it's pure curiosity and love that's propelling me forward), I walk toward Bastila.

As I near the woman I love, a black hole forms in the pit of my stomach. I begin to feel more and more sick the closer I get to her; I can see bruises and scratches on Bastila's pale, thin face. And is that blood speckling her tunic? I swallow a sour taste and pray that it's not her own blood that stained her tunic.

When I stop in front of her, I can see that there's an insane light in her eyes. This isn't the same Bastila that I fell in love with.

"Bas…" I choke out, but she doesn't seem to hear me.

"Revan! I knew you'd come for me," Bastila says smugly, eyeing me and resting her hand on her lightsaber hilt. "Lord Malak wasn't so sure, but I know you so much better than he does."

I gaze at her, making a note of every single bruise and scar that's appeared on her face since the last time I saw her. I silently vow that whenever I meet up with Malak, I'll make sure that he pays for them tenfold.

"_Lord_ Malak?" I repeat, already feeling defeated.

"Yes," Bastila spits at me. "And Jedi scum like you shouldn't even be allowed to speak his name! Malak is everything; he's strong, he's in control, and he's training me to be his apprentice. Soon we're be the leaders of the galaxy, and you will be crushed!" She lets out a maniacal laugh, her gray eyes piercing mine.

I'm silent for a long time, trying to make myself believe this is real. "Can you even hear yourself?" I whisper, searching her eyes. "Do you even know what you're saying?" Without realizing it, I take a step closer to her so that I'm able to reach out and touch her.

Bastila says nothing, apparently captivated by my gaze. She subconsciously leans into my touch when I cup her cheek in my hand. I could swear that I see an inner struggle going on in her eyes, as though she's fighting against the darkness inside her. A moment passes, then she tears herself away and slaps me across the face. "Enough!" she cries. "I tire of this game you're playing! I'm stronger than you, and I'm here to destroy you!"

I recover from my shock at her slapping me, having stumbled backward a few feet. I stare dumbly as she ignites her lightsaber and glares at me. Before I realize what's happening, she's flying toward me, her lightsaber aimed directly at my chest.

I scream and reflexively jump out of the way. I'm just in time; not a second later, her crimson blade pierces the space I had just been. I pull my blade out and ignite it, quickly intercepting Bastila's blade with my own as she lunges after me again. Sparks fly between us, and as our eyes meet above our blades, I know I'll die before I hurt Bastila.

I parry her every attack, dodging strikes and sidestepping what could be fatal blows. It occurs to me that Jolee and Juhani aren't fighting at all, nor have I heard from them since Bastila pulled out her lightsaber. I take a risk and glance behind me to see that Jolee and Juhani are trapped inside what appears to be an impenetrable force field. I can tell by the way they're struggling to breach it that Bastila erected it.

A searing pain in my shoulder snaps me back to the battle I'm engaged in, and I realize almost immediately that I can't seem to use my left arm. I swear softly, defending myself with my good arm.

I can't tell for sure, but I think Bastila falters when she realizes she can see blood. My blood. She takes a moment to refocus herself, circling me like a predator circles its prey. I use that moment to asses the damage she's done to my shoulder. Somehow, her blade didn't immediately cauterize all the severed blood vessels; there's a slowly growing pool of blood staining my tunic and robe.

I look back up to see Bastila's eyes watching me carefully, waiting to see what I'll do.

"Bastila," I start to say, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I can't believe my beautiful angel is doing this. "Think about what you're doing. I don't really think you want to kill me." I speak softly, trying to gently ease her mind to accept what I'm saying.

"Malak wants you dead, and I will save him the trouble!" she retorts stubbornly, raising her voice to hide what I guess is fear. What she's afraid of, I'm not sure. It could be any number of things.

I block another attack, starting to feel a little woozy. A quick glance at my shoulder alerts me to the fact that the blood flow is increasing. If I don't end this soon, I know I'll be passed out on the floor. The next thing I know, my jaw is aching and I can taste blood. I can tell immediately that Bastila's lightsaber hilt did the damage.

I growl and spit out the reddish contents of my mouth. _That's the last time I look away, _I think wryly, focusing all my attention on Bastila. We twirl around each other gracefully for a few minutes, our blades meeting and showering the stone floor with sparks.

I get more and more lightheaded with every move I make, and finally, I'm struggling to stand up, much less protect myself. With a well placed kick from Bastila, I fly backward and collide with a stone wall.

I swear to myself I won't kill Bastila, or hurt her in any way, and Jolee and Juhani are trapped and restricted from saving me. I guess it's the end of the road… My lightsaber rolls out of my hand and I lay there, gasping for breath.

I sense Bastila standing over me, and I can hear her blade humming ominously.

"Bastila… I know you're in there," I whisper, coughing as I choke on my own blood. "I know you can hear me. Don't do this. I love you…"

I close my eyes and wait for death, for the unmistakable sound of her lightsaber blade slicing through the air toward me. But it never comes. After what feels like an eternity, I reopen my eyes and see Bastila still standing at my feet, her blade raised for the final strike. The only thing stopping her is the sudden uncertainty in her eyes.

She stares down at me, obviously fighting an inner battle. The hand that's holding her lightsaber trembles and she swallows before speaking. "I… don't know… what to do. Malak wants…" She looks directly into my eyes, her confusion so intense that I can feel it rolling off her in waves.

"I believe in you, Bas. You can beat this," I mumble, suddenly feeling very tired and wanting nothing more than to go to sleep. I'm vaguely aware that I've heard that this is sometimes what people feel like when they're about to die. "Come back to me…" My voice trails off into a soft rattling noise.

Bastila stares down at me, paling when she realizes that I'm about to die. Her hand tenses for a moment before she lets her lightsaber drop to the floor. "Kat…?" she whispers fearfully, apparently realizing that I'm already halfway dead. I can tell by the sound of her voice that she doesn't want to lose me. The thought warms my weak heart.

My vision clouds over into darkness, but I'm pretty sure I don't pass out. I sense the darkness fade a little, and strangely enough, it's easier to breathe now. The sound of footsteps hurrying toward me echoes in my ears. Jolee starts barking orders, and I hear Juhani screaming at Bastila that she could have killed me.

"Shut up, Juhani!" Jolee commands, sounding frustrated. "One of you get over here and help me!"

Juhani's voice goes silent, and I feel a warm, tingling sensation running up my spine as Jolee and whoever's helping him begin to heal me with the Force.

"Do you have any medpacs in that ship of yours?" Jolee asks after a minute. He sounds tense, as though he's fighting for my life. I hear footsteps and the suddenly faraway sounds of a ship's hatch hydraulics opening, then more footsteps and the sound of someone tearing open a medpac. There's a sudden prick in my shoulder just above the gash Bastila inflicted.

As the medpac's healing fluid begins to course through my veins and heal me, I feel a little strange. It feels like I could fall asleep and float away…

After a moment, I start feeling dizzy; it almost feels like the ground is moving beneath me, and before I can try and figure out what's going on, everything fades away into silent darkness.

* * *

Muahahaha.... =]

It's not the best cliffie in the world, but it's there nonetheless.

Reviewers get ice cream sundaes. :P


	13. Chapter 13

Hello again! I hope you all appreciated the WONDERFUL cliffy I left you with. =P

Before we get to the story, I HAVE to say something. I've been wanting to respond to a certain reviewer, but I can't. So, "Kidney", THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! =] I was hoping no one would get mad at me for deviating from canon, and then you reviewed and thanked me. So everyone knows, I hate it when people freak out about sticking to canon. So, obviously, I'm pleased. =D

As usual, thanks to everyone that's reading and reviewing, or just reading. Either way, you're great. And of course, thanks to wolfschlitzen. You're a big help!

Ahem. Yes. Now, on to the story!

* * *

What feels like a few seconds later, I'm awake again, and the sounds around me become more clear. My vision is still dark, and I realize that I'm slipping in and out of consciousness.

The world fades in an out a few more times, each time taking my hearing with it. I don't know how long I lay there, and I'm only vaguely aware of Jolee and Juhani discussing my condition.

When I finally wake up and feel stronger than the last few times, I try and focus on the world around me. I can hear someone whispering prayers and promises beside me. Their voice is so quiet that I can't make out what they're saying, or who it is, for that matter.

I find that I have enough strength to open my eyes, grateful for this discovery; I want to reassure whoever it is that's worrying over me. I struggle for a moment, but then my eyes flutter open. The first thing I see is a familiar pair of tear-filled gray eyes. My heart nearly stops as I gaze up into those beautiful eyes, and the next thing I know, Bastila's turning away from me, misery and shame in her eyes.

I sit up, wincing as my sore body groans in protest. It's then that I realize I'm sitting on the bed in the _Ebon Hawk_'s medbay, Bastila perched on the edge of the bed at my side. I briefly wonder how I got here, but I'm grateful when I remember why. My pain and confusion are immediately forgotten when Bastila opens her mouth to speak.

"Kat, I'm so sorry," she whispers, her voice shaking. "I didn't want to hurt you. Malak told me to, and I was… I…" She falls silent, her head sinking into her hands. A second later, her shoulders jerk with a sob.

I'm a little leery of Bastila, simply because she'd just tried to kill me, but I can sense her sincerity and sorrow and it's physically hurting me to see her looking so brokenhearted. I scoot closer and pull her into my arms, cuddling her against my chest as she cries.

As I hold her, my hatred of Malak grows. She's so skinny… Malak must have starved her as a part of his torture. I swear I'll kill him. Silly as it sounds, originally I was only going to kill him to save the galaxy. Now it's personal.

Just then, a weary-looking Jolee pops his head into the room. His brows raise at the sight of me awake and sitting up, but I catch his gaze and shake my head once, hoping he'll get the message and leave us alone for just a while longer. He nods and leaves, and I hold Bastila closer, rocking her gently.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles, clinging to me like I'm her only lifeline.

"I'm okay, Bas," I respond softly, closing my eyes and trying to make myself believe that she's actually here with me. The wetness of her tears seeping through my tunic puts a smile on my face. She's real, she's here. "I understand. Don't worry."

Bastila falls silent and sniffles a few times, finally pulling back just enough to look me in the eye. She's a little hesitant about actually meeting my gaze, but after a moment, she manages to look at me. Once again, I'm lost in her eyes, just as I have been so many times before.

"You didn't fight back," she whispers, sounding confused. "You just let me hurt you. Why?"

I put a warm, reassuring smile on my face. "I swore to myself I'd never hurt you, Bas. I figured either you'd get worn out, or I'd end up hurt. It just happened the way it happened."

Bastila bites her lip, obviously not sure that I'm telling the truth. She looks away, still uncomfortable with holding my gaze.

I reach up and catch her cheek with my palm, gently turning her head to look back at me. "Hey," I murmur, staring into her eyes with a gentle expression on my face. "Bastila, don't worry about this any more. That's behind us; it's over. If you're worried about me hating you, don't." A smile grows on my face as I speak. "I love you, Bas. Don't forget that."

There are fresh tears in her eyes when I finish speaking, and before she can say anything, I lean in and press a gentle, loving kiss to her lips. I pull away a few seconds later, grinning down at her.

Bastila manages a smile and rests her head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry," she mumbles, sounding sleepy all of a sudden. I guess she's been sitting up with me ever since we got back to the _Ebon Hawk_.

"How long was I out for?" I ask softly, cuddling her against me.

"Long enough," she mutters in response, making me chuckle. She looks up at me and cracks a grin. "Not too long, I guess. A few hours."

"How many is a few?" I press, stroking her hair gently.

Bastila shrugs, once again nestling against my shoulder. I notice that she takes care to avoid my bad shoulder, and a smile grows on my face. I rest my cheek against her head and close my eyes. We sit there for a few long moments, enjoying each other's company.

I hear a noise at the door and open my eyes to see Jolee standing in the doorway. He raises his eyebrows, his expression asking me if this is a good time for him to enter. I smile and nod, trying my best not to disturb Bastila; I think she may have dozed off in my arms.

Jolee seems to realize Bastila's asleep as he approaches, taking care to be quiet. Together, we manage to ease Bastila out of my arms and onto the bed. I grab a blanket from a small supply closet beside me and cover her with it, only turning to Jolee when I'm sure that she's comfortable.

He's got a ghost of a smile on his face, and I guess it's from watching me take care of Bastila. I decide not to comment, instead raising my eyebrows at him to ask what he wants. Jolee grins and leads me out of the medbay and into the hall so we won't disturb Bastila.

"How's your arm?" he asks, reaching out to examine it.

I flex it and wiggle my fingers as he asks, thanking him when he proclaims that I should have full use of my arm back within the next few days. I know it'll be enough to fight Malak with, even with it not being a hundred percent.

"How long was I out?" I ask, stretching my stiff muscles and cracking my knuckles. I don't mean to make Bastila sound bad, but I know Jolee will tell me the truth.

He cocks his head, his eyes going to the ceiling as he counts in his head. "I'd say it's been about six or seven hours since we brought you back here."

I frown, glancing toward the medbay. "She looks so worn out," I murmur, knowing I don't need to identify the 'she'.

Jolee's expression darkens slightly and he nods. "I'd be willing to be she hadn't slept for hours before she even came down here to fight you. And she's sat up beside you ever since we got you back here, so it's no wonder she's tired."

I feel a rush of love for the sleeping beauty in the medbay, fighting back the urge to run in there and kiss her. Instead, in a show of sheer willpower, I turn and gesture that Jolee and I head to the women's dorm so I can change out of my tunic, which is crusty with dried blood. "What's the plan?" I ask as we walk. "I don't suppose anyone thought to lower the disruptor field while we were on the roof?"

Jolee snorts, rolling his eyes at me. "You shut your yap. We were all a little too busy trying to save your life to worry about anything else. So, there's no plan."

"I always have to do all the work," I sigh dramatically, dodging a playful swat from the old man as I step into the dorm. I head over to my footlocker and pull out a fresh tunic, changing into it and throwing the old one over my arm.

Jolee accompanies me to the cargo bay, where we've installed a makeshift washer/dryer unit. I toss my tunic inside and punch the power button, turning and heading to the commons area, Jolee at my side.

"Kat! You're okay!" Carth exclaims as Jolee and I walk into the commons. He jumps up and hugs me awkwardly. "You looked… um… dead when they brought you in," he adds, looking uncomfortable at the thought.

I throw him a reassuring grin, squeezing his arm gently. I take a quick visual survey to see who's in the commons, surprised to only see Carth, Canderous and Juhani. Counting Jolee and myself, we make up about half the crew.

"Mission fell asleep and Zaalbar's putting her in bed," Canderous explains when he sees my surprise.

"Ah." I hesitate, looking over at Juhani. She's avoiding my gaze, fidgeting with her hands instead. I clear my throat and she looks up. Our gazes meet, and I give her a small smile, mouthing a 'thank you' to her. She nods and looks away again.

"So," I begin, looking at everyone. "I'm guessing no one has managed to think of a plan." The blank looks I receive answer my question quite well. "Okay, first things first…"

_..-=*^*=-.._..-=*^*=-.._

Hours later, we're still in the middle of trying to work out a plan. The only real problem is that none of us can figure out a way to lower the field without wasting another day and having the aliens lower it for us again.

We all look up with surprise when Bastila steps into the room. She's changed into one of her older tunics and, judging by the dampness of her hair, she's also taken a quick shower. An uneasy smile appears on her face when she sees that everyone's staring at her, and she comes over and stands beside me. I feel her slip her hand into mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What's going on?" she asks quietly.

I give her a basic rundown of what we need to do, ending with an extremely brief summary of our long argument about the field.

Bastila looks thoughtful for a moment, glancing at me with an uncertain grin. "I think I've got a solution. I'm not sure, but it might work." She looks around before speaking. "Malak… Malak made sure everyone that was coming down to the temple had an emitter of some sort. It puts out a frequency that shuts down the field for a few minutes." She shrugs and rests her head against my shoulder. "It might work."

All of us share a glance, and I plant a kiss on Bastila's cheek. "You, my dear, are a genius," I proclaim, hugging her warmly.

I glance at the chronometer on one of the many computer panels that line the walls and realize that it's much later than I'd expected it to be. "Hey, if you guys want to continue this in the morning…" I say, glancing around and realizing how tired everyone looks.

Carth gives me a grateful grin. "I bet we'll all think better after we've slept some," he reasons aloud, standing up and stretching.

Canderous, Juhani, and Jolee all make noises of agreement, soon following Carth out of the commons and to the dorms. Which leaves me and Bastila.

I hug her again, a smile on my face as we walk over to one of the "couches." I plop myself down and she follows suit, cuddling up against me just like she used to.

"I love you," I whisper in her ear, breathing in the scent of her and loving every second of having her in my arms. I try and memorize every moment, knowing that this might be the last time I'll ever get to just sit with her. The moment that thought crosses my mind, an aching sadness settles into my chest.

Apparently, Bastila can sense the change in my mood; she shifts and looks up at me concernedly, her gray eyes searching mine. "What's wrong?" she asks softly.

I open my mouth to tell her it's nothing, then hesitate and tell her the truth. "I'm scared," I whisper, tears suddenly burning in my eyes. "I'm so damn afraid, Bas. I don't want to go and face Malak. I don't want to die and lose you."

Bastila immediately turns and wraps her arms around me, hugging me close. I don't know how long we sit there for, but she doesn't loosen her hold on me for one second. After what feels like no time at all, she pulls away just far enough to look me in the eye. I see tears in her eyes and try not to cry myself. I hate to see Bastila cry; it always makes me cry, too.

"I know you're afraid," she whispers, holding my gaze with her beautiful eyes. "And believe me, I don't want you to die, either. But, Kat, I believe in you. I know you can beat him. I'm not going to lie and say I'm not worried," she adds, a smile flickering across her face. "I worry about you every time I know you're going to be in danger. But I just… I know you're going to win."

I silence her with a kiss, comforted by her words. I also don't really want to talk about it anymore; I'd rather relish these precious moments with Bastila.

_..-=*^*=-.._..-=*^*=-.._

After a half hour of debate the next morning, our plan is settled. Bastila, Canderous, and I will go to the temple and get inside using Bastila's Sith emitter. We'll shut down the disruptor field that's keeping the _Ebon Hawk_ grounded, then hurry back and go to the Star Forge. Bastila will wear a clean set of Dark Jedi robes we took off a Sith corpse to confuse everyone on the Star Forge.

We start toward the temple bright and early in the morning. There's a knot of tension and anxiety tightening in my gut, and I know it's showing on my face. Bastila smiles and takes my hand, her pace slowing when her fingers brush over the metal cuff on my wrist. She lifts our entwined hands and looks at the cuff for a moment, her smile growing. "That's…"

"The bracelet you got me for my birthday," I affirm, smiling a little. "I haven't taken it off since I found it."

Bastila kisses me on the cheek. "I'm glad you like it," she murmurs, squeezing my hand.

For a moment, I replay her video in my head, grinning and wrapping my arm around her. "I love you so much," I tell her softly, choosing to ignore the amusement I can sense from Canderous.

We press on, finally arriving at the temple. Bastila releases my hand reluctantly and kneels, sticking her hand inside her boot and withdrawing a small, spherical… thing. I know it's the emitter, but it sure doesn't look special.

Bastila notices my facial expression and gives me a dry look, standing and turning the emitter over in her hand. After a moment, she locates and presses a button, and the shimmering field that's once again keeping us from the temple entrance vanishes.

"What?" Canderous asks, looking a little disappointed. "Nothing blows up?"

I roll my eyes at him, beginning the walk up the long stone ramp that leads to the door. "You're pathetic, Ordo."

He shrugs and catches my eye, silently asking something of me. With a groan, I understand him.

Bastila looks confused. "What?" she asks slowly, raising an eyebrow when we stop walking.

I pull her into my arms and give her a long, passionate kiss. Bastila makes a soft little moan and curls her fingers in my hair, apparently unconcerned by Canderous' presence. When we break apart a few seconds later, I'm out of breath. I turn and shoot Canderous a dry frown. "Happy now, you pervert?" I ask sarcastically.

He grins and nods emphatically in answer, making Bastila and I laugh as we head into the temple.

* * *

Meh. I don't know for sure if I like the ending of this chapter.

Ah well. =] At least there's no cliffy this time, eh? =P


	14. Chapter 14

Arr, I be sorry for the delay in the update, mateys. I have no excuse. =] Just enjoying my summer vacation and generally being lazy. Don't attack me, and all will be well. :P

As usual, I'm going to state just how grateful I am to all my readers. =] Thank you guys very much! Y'all keep me motivated. And of course, wolfschlitzen, thanks a lot! You're a huge help, and it's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. =]

* * *

I know where I'm heading this time, so it takes almost no time at all to reach the roof. When we step out into the sunlight, the first thing I notice is a ship sitting beyond the place Bastila and I fought. My hand instinctively goes to my lightsaber hilt, but Bastila notices and grabs my arm. "That's my ship," she informs me, glancing around. "No one else is here, so I don't think we're in danger."

The disjointed beginnings of an idea start swirling around in my head as we walk out onto the temple roof. Bastila walks around some bloodstains on the stone floor, averting her eyes, heading around behind her ship. Canderous and I, however, are sidetracked by the ship.

I glance over and find Canderous practically drooling. He's gazing at the ship as if it were some scantily clad Twi'lek dancer or something. "It's a Lightweight NX347-1 G-wing… I've been wanting to see one of these models up close for years," he whispers reverently. "It's… Kat, it's beautiful."

I guess Bastila can hear him; she lets out a laugh at his words.

I grin and rest a hand on the hull of the ship, looking at the cockpit and doing a few quick estimations in my head. After a moment, I walk around the ship to find Bastila standing over a computer panel, apparently struggling to shut down the disruptor field. Only when I lean in and see that she's typing in an algorithm that would make my brain explode do my thoughts turn away from my idea.

"Holy crap, Bas," I say, watching her fingers fly over the keyboard in awe. "You never cease to amaze me."

She gives me a distracted grin. "What can I say? I'm a woman of many talents," she quips, immediately going back to her work.

I stand there and watch her for a few moments, fascinated by her interactions with the computer. I hate to sound proud, but I'm pretty good with computers; I love working with them. But whatever Bastila's doing is beyond me.

A few minutes later she turns away from it, a pleased smile on her face. "Got it," she tells me, brushing her hands off on her pants. "The _Ebon Hawk_ should be able to take off now."

I just stare at her for a moment, realizing not for the first time that Bastila is the most amazing person I know. She blushes under my gaze, her smile turning sheepish before she turns and looks at Canderous.

The Mandalorian is gently stroking the hull of Bastila's ship, being more gentle than I ever imagined he could be. He acts as though he's in the presence of a sacred object, which, I suppose, he feels like he is.

"So," I say after a moment, my mind returning to my idea. "I had a thought."

Bastila turns and looks at me, her face conveying her curiosity. Neither of us say anything for a moment, and she raises an eyebrow at me, a smile playing across her face. "Well?" she asks finally. "Aren't you going to share it?"

I crack a smile, deciding that we don't have time to be goofy. Instead of teasing her, I start talking. "Malak didn't have any idea exactly when I'd be arriving here, or how long it'd take you to kill me, did he?"

A shadow crosses Bastila's face, her mouth pressing into a firm line and a furrow forming between her brows. After a moment, she shakes her head. "Some supplies were stowed in my ship in case it took you longer than expected," she says quietly.

My plan begins to clearly form in my head and excitement begins to build in my chest. "And it's only been a day or so since you got here, right?"

She nods, her expression showing that she hasn't caught my drift yet.

"Perfect," I say, rubbing my hands together and grinning mischievously. The fact that Bastila's wearing Dark Jedi robes only makes my plan even more plausible. "Here's my idea: Ordo can go back to the _Hawk_ and tell everyone that the field's down. Meanwhile, you and I get in this ship," I gesture toward the ship unnecessarily. "And we'll fly up to the Star Forge and surprise everyone. We can open a COM link with the _Hawk_ or something, and we'll fly in and hopefully catch everyone off guard and get rid of Malak pretty quickly."

Bastila hesitates, her eyes drifting to the floor as she thinks through my plan. She starts to speak once or twice, but stops herself and continues running through the plan. After a few minutes pass, she looks up at me and smiles uneasily. "You think it'll work?"

I shrug. "I hope so."

Bastila eyes me critically for a moment, and I can sense her still mentally running through my idea. Finally, she gives me a little nod and her smile grows. "I hope so, too. Let's do it."

I glance at Canderous and snicker. "Good luck separating him and his new baby," I say, shaking my head and grinning. Bastila laughs and I head over to the Mandalorian, grabbing his arm and shaking him out of his daze. "Canderous," I call, waiting until his gaze snaps over and meets mine. "Focus, buddy. Bastila and I need you to do something for us."

The serious tone of my voice catches his attention immediately, and he turns and gives me his full attention. "What do ya need?"

I briefly explain the plan to him. "… And we'll send out a signal from the docking bay, so you can just tell Carth to follow that. By then, we should have gotten most of the Sith in the hangar out of the way."

Canderous looks at me for a moment, a grin appearing on his face. "Damn, you're cool!" His grin widens and he rubs his hands together. "I like it. It's sneaky, and it just might work."

We all fall silent and glance up at the Star Forge. The reality and gravity of our situation hits us all at once, and the anxiety that floods my senses is felt by all of us.

Canderous clears his throat after a moment and looks at us uncomfortably. "Hey, good luck," he says seriously, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops. He stands there for a moment, finally turning and heading back to reenter the temple.

Bastila and I watch as our companion disappears into the shadows of the temple, turning and sharing an intense look. Together, we turn and head over to the ship.

Bastila opens the hatch and leans into the cockpit, moving things around to make room for another person, namely, me. While she does that, I pace back and forth, nervous about what's to come. I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Bastila catches my arm.

"Ready?" she asks quietly, studying me with her beautiful eyes.

I hesitate, then nod. How can anyone be ready to willingly head right into their mortal enemy's lair? "As ready as I'll ever be," I answer, following her into the cramped cockpit.

Somehow, Bastila manages to create enough room inside to where we don't have to sit on each other's laps, and as I close the hatch above us, she fires up the engine. Soon, we're soaring through the air, picking up speed as the ship struggles to break free of the planet's gravity.

There's a tense silence between Bastila and I, neither of us daring to say anything.

Before long, the Star Forge is looming in front of us, Sith ships surrounding it like a cloud of death. I'm holding my breath as Bastila calmly flies through the line, sure that one of the ships will notice that something's wrong and attack us. Nothing of the sort happens, much to my relief.

Bastila chuckles at my fear as she pulls the ship into a hangar and sets it down. The engine shuts off and she and I sit there in silence for a few moments. I don't know where it comes from, but suddenly, I'm talking. "Let's go," I say, sounding a lot more sure of myself than I feel.

Bastila nods, kisses me quickly, then releases the hatch. "Stay down and wait until I call you," she whispers, climbing out and greeting a few of the techs and mechanics that seem to recognize her. I stay silent, listening as footsteps begin to approach the ship.

"Hold on," Bastila yells; the footsteps immediately stop. "Don't get near that ship; I've got a surprise for Lord Malak."

I hear a lot of disappointed groans when she tells everyone to get away, unable to stop a smile. Bastila's voice once again begins to fill the hangar, and I listen as she carries out her own part of the plan.

"Because this is a surprise for Lord Malak, I would suggest someone shut down the communications link for this hangar. I wouldn't be very pleased if the surprise got out, and I don't Lord Malak would, either," she says, her voice threatening and lined with malevolence. I suppress a shudder at the sound; if I didn't know better, I'd be convinced Bastila was still Sith.

"Working on it right now, ma'am," a nervous Sith calls out.

"Make sure it's shut down completely, so secure that Malak himself wouldn't be able to listen in," Bastila commands before silence falls across the hangar.

"Done," the same Sith says a few moments later. "We're as isolated as a hair on Malak's head."

Uneasy laughter fills the hangar, and I quickly change my snicker into a grin.

"Good," Bastila says, sounding far away from the ship. "Now, send a homing signal to starship code Z868594-alpha."

I can sense the confusion of the Sith, but apparently, they comply, because a moment later, Bastila's latest order is completed.

"Thank you very much," Bastila says to the Sith. "I appreciate it. Now, Kat, would you mind…?"

I immediately straighten up and climb out of the cockpit, my muscles grateful after having been cramped into such a small space. I can't help but grin when I see over thirty stunned Sith staring at me with their mouths hanging open. "Um… hi?" I say tentatively, looking up and meeting Bastila's gaze.

She gives me a grim nod, and pulls out her lightsaber.

Before any of the Sith realize what's happening, Bastila and I are quickly killing them. Bodies are littering the floor soon, and Bastila and I are both out of breath as we kill the last few Sith.

I extinguish my lightsaber when the last Sith falls to the floor, hearing Bastila do the same. I turn to look at her, unsurprised to see that she's pale and looks sick to her stomach. She sinks to her knees and draws a deep breath. I go to her side and kneel, wrapping my arms around her and rocking her gently.

"Kat, I hate this," she whispers. "All this killing. I just…"

"I know," I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I hate it, too. But this is a war. People die in war."

"That doesn't make it any less awful," she mumbles, burying her face in the crook of my neck.

We sit there in silence for a few moments, and I discreetly use the Force to move most of the bodies to a corner where they won't be as noticeable.

The sound of a ship's thrusters suddenly pierce the silence and Bastila and I spring apart, jumping to our feet and diving behind another ship for cover and the ship sets down and the loading ramp drops. We crouch side by side, our ears straining to pick up any sound at all from the passengers. If it's a Sith ship and Bastila and I are caught, we'll be dead before Malak even knows we're here.

After what seems like an agonizing eternity, footsteps are audible, echoing throughout the hangar.

"Honey, I'm home!" Canderous' voice calls out. "Hey! Why'd you do all the killing _before_ I got here??"

Carth laughs at the same time as Bastila and I get up and go to meet our companions.

"There you are!" Mission cries, brushing past Jolee and Juhani to get to Bastila and I. "I didn't even get to see you guys before you ran up here!" She hugs Bastila, then me, grinning up at us both.

"So you all know," Carth says. "I sent Admiral Dodonna our coordinates. The Republic army should be here within an hour."

I turn to Bastila and grin at her weakly. She returns it in kind, taking and squeezing my hand.

T3-M4 rolls over, beeping and whistling loudly. I look to my crewmates for help; if there's one thing I don't understand, it's droid-speak.

"He says that he hacked into the computer and set it to broadcast a signal that says this hangar is full so no Sith can land in here," Mission translates quickly, grinning up at me knowingly.

"Oh. Thanks, T3." I look around at my friends, determination and anxiety making themselves at home in my gut. "You know, you guys don't have to--"

"Don't even start that crap, missy," Jolee says, effectively cutting me off. "You don't think that we've all come all this way with you to abandon you now, do you?"

I open my mouth to protest, but before I can even speak, everyone glares at me.

"Get used to it, Kat," Carth says with a smile. "You're stuck with us."

I look around and find everyone nodding their agreement. With a sigh, I crack a grateful grin and look each crewmember in the eye. "Thanks, everyone." Knowing that there's no more to say, I release Bastila's hand, grab my lightsaber, and lead my friends into the Star Forge, comforted by the fact that the Republic is on its way. I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get.

* * *

Whoever can guess what line I borrowed from Big Idea™ gets a big slice of congratulatory cookie cake. (ha! alliteration!) =P

I know, this chapter is somewhat pitiful in regards to moving the story along. I didn't want to have to cut it off in an awkward part in the middle of the Star Forge, so this is my compensation. At least I posted something, eh?

Yes, I realize that my style while writing this story has changed quite a bit. I'm sorry that it doesn't flow as well as it did in the first few chapters. Never fear, though, the end is in sight! =] Just a few more chapters, friends and neighbors. Then I'll be out of your hair. :P


	15. Chapter 15

"Okay," I concede after admitting that we've been going around in a large circle. "I'm lost."

Carth, Canderous, Mission, and Jolee all groan and moan, but Bastila and Juhani silence them with glares. I thank them with grateful smiles, directing my attention to Bastila. "Why don't you lead us, since you've been here before?"

Bastila's expression is covered with a shadow of guilt, which I guess is from her fall, but she still manages to smile at me. Once she takes charge, things go a lot smoother. Within a few minutes, we're back in front of the hangar the _Ebon Hawk_ is in.

"We all need to meet back here when it's over," Bastila says quietly, her expression serious as she looks everyone in the eye.

The atmosphere seems to change. It had been serious and foreboding, but now the temperature seems to have dropped and it feels of death. Everyone can sense it; their faces all showing differing degrees of unease.

Before anyone can say anything, a patrol of Sith come walking around the corner. Bastila stiffens, her hand going to her lightsaber hilt. I reach out and touch her arm, silently letting her know that she shouldn't just attack.

The Sith patrol leader turns and sees us. A sneer crosses his face when he sees Bastila. "Got some prisoners for Lord Malak, Bastila?" he calls.

Bastila forces a laugh. "It's a surprise," she responds tartly. "Don't ruin it."

The Sith leader motions for his troops to stay where they are, walking over toward us. I guess he wants to see what Malak's surprise is going to be. A frown appears on his face when he approaches and notices Carth. "Isn't that… Wait." He turns to me and stares at me for a moment, his eyes going wide when he realizes who I am. The Sith reaches toward me almost fearfully, touching my cheek to see if I'm real.

I flinch away from his touch, surprised when an arm curls around his neck.

"Don't touch her," Bastila whispers venomously before she breaks his neck and lets him fall to the floor.

I gape at Bastila, surprised at her actions.

She grimaces at me. "I don't want any Sith perverts laying their hands on you," she explains softly, protectiveness flashing in her eyes. She lets a small smile appear on her face when she sees my pitiful schoolgirl grin.

"Not that this isn't very sweet or anything," Carth interjects uneasily. "But you're going to have about thirty very angry Sith attacking you if you don't do anything."

Bastila nods once, turning back to the stunned Sith patrol. "I would suggest you all think twice before coming over to examine my surprise. You don't want to end up like your commander, do you?"

The Sith all remain silent, sharing uncertain glances.

"Go back to your quarters," Bastila commands them; I can sense her bending their minds to her will with the Force.

As if they're entranced, the soldiers head back the way they'd come from.

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief; no one wants to kill more than we have to. A moment later, all eyes are on Bastila, who begins leading us through the Star Forge.

Along the way, we encounter a few large groups of Dark Jedi. They recognize us immediately and can sense the difference in Bastila, and attack. Lucky for us, they have no radios or any means of contacting anyone else. Once they're all dead, we proceed cautiously, only stopping when Mission realizes she's bleeding. I start to heal her, only to have Jolee stop me.

"You need to save your power," he tells me firmly, healing Mission's wound with a brush of his fingers.

I know it's pointless to argue, and we continue on our way. Bastila doesn't slow down, so we don't either. After what feels like hours, we've hurried down scores of hallways and cut across a few hangars.

Bastila's pace slows as we approach a small door in the wall before us. She and I share a glance before she walks over to the security pad that's on the wall.

"Please enter your passcode," the pad states in a mechanical voice.

Bastila immediately begins typing in a passcode, her fingers once again flying across the keys.

"Please press your hand to the scanner for ID validation." Bastila does so, and there's a beeping noise as the computer scans her palm. A moment later, the pad emits an affirming beep.

The door slides open the moment Bastila's hand leaves the pad, revealing a large room full of Sith guards, soldiers, and technicians. Everyone knows there's no way Bastila can talk us out of this one.

A large battle erupts almost instantaneously, and for a moment, I'm worried about our odds; there's only seven of us versus the entire room. But then Bastila yells at the crew to duck, shoving me to the floor as she pulls a grenade out of her pocket and pulls the pin, throwing it toward a large computer bank. She drops to the floor beside me, purposefully covering me as best she can.

A second later, a loud explosion echoes in the chamber and the scent of burned flesh wafts toward us. Bastila waits for a moment, then shifts off of me and looks up. I look up too and see what Bastila'd done. By throwing her grenade at the computers, she caused an explosion that killed almost all of the Sith. The ones that weren't killed are lying unconscious on the floor.

"Wow," Carth says from behind us, his statement mirrored by Mission and Jolee.

"You two are so cool!" Canderous says for the second time today. I shoot him a dry glance, grinning at Bastila.

Bastila, I guess, is feeling either really tense or is afraid; she doesn't return the expression, instead getting up and extending her hand to me. "Not much farther to Deck One," she informs us, glancing at our crew members to make sure no one got hurt. "Come on."

I climb to my feet, sickened at the sight of all the charred bodies. I swallow and follow Bastila wordlessly toward the door on the other side of the room.

Before we can reach the door, however, the large computer screen mounted on the wall emits a shower of sparks. Mission yelps and jumps out of the way of the sparks as an image flickers onto the barely-working screen.

Bastila cringes and Carth swears when Darth Malak appears, an infuriated glare on his face. To make his image even more gruesome, the metal covering that goes over his missing jaw is gone.

Before Malak gets the chance to say anything, an insane thought pops into my head and bursts out of my mouth. "Hey, guys, check it out!" I say loudly, pointing at the screen. "He's so surprised to see us, his jaw fell off!"

Bastila gives me an alarmed look as I stifle nervous, hysterical laughter; my damn sense of humor always kicks in at the wrong time. I glance over and see that there's varying levels of disbelief on my friends' faces. Apparently, my comment was plain stupid. _Maybe years from now it'll be funny, _I console myself, turning my gaze to the screen where Malak looks even more incensed than he did a moment ago.

"Bastila," he says, sounding deadly calm. "I see you've brought company. I suppose this was your 'surprise?'" He doesn't give her a chance to answer. "Didn't you think I would be able to sense you? You idiotic fool."

A frown crosses over my face, and I open my mouth to retort, but Bastila's fingers close around my arm. "Leave it," she whispers. I don't want to, but I close my mouth again, not responding for her sake.

Malak turns his gaze on me, oblivious to our little exchange. "Revan, you've arrived. And you brought your friends. How pathetic. You need reinforcements? I suppose that's what you have to do when you're trapped in the light, though, isn't it?" His yellow eyes narrow and for a moment the two of us are engaged in a glaring contest. "I'll be waiting for you," he hisses before cutting the transmission.

The screen, having been damaged in Bastila's explosion, finally gives up and explodes. I grab Bastila and whirl around, holding her against me and blocking her from the flying glass and sparks.

A cry from one of our companions startles us and Bastila pulls herself out of my grasp, stepping over a dead Sith as she goes to help.

I turn quickly, only to see Mission leaning over a collapsed Zaalbar and Carth clutching at his forehead. Jolee and Juhani rush over to Zaalbar while Bastila heads to Carth's side.

Bastila pries Carth's hands from his forehead, examining the wound quickly. "It's just superficial," she tells him, touching her fingertips to the cut and healing it.

Jolee swears and Mission whimpers, drawing my attention to the fallen creature. I hurry over, dropping down beside Mission and wrapping a comforting arm around her. "What's wrong with him?"

"A few pieces of glass embedded themselves in his chest cavity," Juhani responds, avoiding making eye contact with me. "He's bleeding internally."

I glance at Mission, immediately sure that she won't be able to make it without Zaalbar. I look at Jolee and meet his serious gaze. "Take them back to the ship," I say. "You'll be able to save Zaalbar that way. And Mission needs to stick with him."

Jolee nods grimly. "Will you be okay?"

I glance over my shoulder and look at Bastila, Carth, and Canderous. I turn back to Jolee and grin. "I think we'll be fine. Just don't let him die." Mission shudders at my words, and I hug her quickly before detaching myself from my young friend.

Mission manages to tear her gaze away from her best friend, looking up at me. "Good luck, Kat," she whispers, shooting me a half-hearted grin. "Go kick Malak's tail."

I smile and nod at her. "You bet I will."

I stand and help Mission to her feet, quickly helping Jolee and Mission find a way to transport the Wookiee back to the _Ebon Hawk_. When I notice Juhani doesn't move to help, I throw her a quizzical look. She meets my gaze, shaking her head ever so slightly. I can see determination in her eyes and decide it's better if I don't say anything to her.

We hurry back over to join Bastila, Carth, and Canderous. I fill them in quickly on what happened, glancing at Bastila. "I'm ready to go when you are."

She nods once, waiting for me to reach her side before turning on her heel and heading for the next door. It opens to reveal an elevator. The remainder of our crew gets into the car and the doors shut. The car rumbles and begins its ascent.

As the car begins to slow, Bastila, Juhani, and I all tense. I guess that we can all sense the soldiers that are waiting for us at the exit. We all get ready to ignite our lightsabers, and Carth and Canderous take the hint, readying their weapons as well.

Bastila and I get on one side of the car, while the others go to the opposite side. The moment the doors slide open, blaster fire begins peppering the back of the car with scorch marks.

I leap out first, followed almost instantaneously by my fellow Jedi. Blaster fire fans out from behind us as Canderous and Carth cover us. I growl and attack when one of the Sith catches Bastila's foot with his and knocks her to the ground. As that Sith falls, another slams the butt of his rifle into the back of my head.

_Don't pass out, _I chant to myself as the world spins in front of me.

"Kat! Duck!" Canderous yells, powering his blaster up and aiming at one of the Sith behind me.

I drop to the floor obediently, my dizziness getting worse at the sudden drop. I feel the Sith's body collapse on top of mine jostling my head again, and the sound fades from the world. I look up curiously to see Bastila climbing to her feet and crying out soundlessly when she sees me. Juhani's pulled out her other lightsaber and is using the two in conjunction to slaughter the Sith as quickly as she can. I turn back to Bastila, hoping that she'll see me and I can comfort her with a smile. Before I can do anything, my vision swims and goes dark.

It feels like just a few seconds later when I hear voices.

"Don't be dead, please, don't be dead," Bastila's voice keeps repeating. "Come on, Kat, wake up."

I struggle to find the energy to open my eyes, expecting a snarky comment from Canderous but hearing none. My head aches, and the back of my skull feels like someone's driving a nail through it. Someone's cradling my head and I can feel the cool glow of the Force healing me. Almost immediately, I feel better and my eyes flutter open.

There's relief on everyone's face, Bastila's most of all. I grin up at her, realizing she's the one with my head cradled in her lap. "That wasn't my smartest move," I comment, starting to sit up. Bastila helps me immediately, letting me lean against her as I regain my balance.

I look around and notice that all of the Sith are lying dead around me. I guess I was out for longer than a few seconds.

I turn my gaze on Bastila. "How much farther?" I ask, a sense of urgency settling over me. I can sense the Republic ships approaching and can tell that they're making attack plans. We won't have much time once the fleet is in place.

"We have to cross this deck to the elevator, then into the control center, through an old unused droid factory room, then up one last elevator," Bastila answers, watching me concernedly. I can tell she's worried about what made me black out.

"Someone hit the back of my head with their gun," I inform everyone, trying to ease their concern as I climb to my feet. I help Bastila up and ward off another quick wave of dizziness, surveying the rest of the deck. There's piles of bodies randomly scattered across the large deck, and beyond the deck, I can see ships being assembled by robotic arms at lightning speed.

_Okay, I was out for a lot longer than a few seconds, _I think, realizing that my friends had rushed over and attacked the other groups while I was unconscious.

"Well," I say after a pause, turning to look at my friends. "I think we'd better get a move on."

Bastila nods and jumps into action, leading us across the large deck and toward another elevator. Once again, we all cram into the elevator and it begins its smooth ascent. There's a tense silence as we all wait to arrive on the next floor. I turn to Bastila and meet her gaze. "Hey, Bas?"

"What?" she responds immediately. I can tell she's getting nervous as we get closer and closer to her old Master.

"I don't want you to help me fight him." I raise a hand to silence her immediate protest. "There's no way the Republic is going to win this fight unless they have some kind of help. And by help I mean-"

"You mean my Battle Meditation," she finishes, looking sour at first, then thoughtful. I know why she's sour; she'd once confided in me that she hated being singled out for her ability. When she lets out a determined breath, I know she'll do as I ask. "Fine," she answers, giving me a half-smile.

I grin gratefully, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

A few seconds later, the door slides open, and we're in a long hallway. As our little posse heads toward the other end of the hallway, I fall back beside the guys. "And don't you two even try to think about firing a blaster at Malak," I say, giving them both a pointed look. "He'll reflect it back so fast no one will have time to think. And that won't end well."

Carth gives me a sheepish grin, obviously remembering the last time he'd tried to shoot Malak. Canderous, on the other hand, looks a little disappointed. After I glare at him, he agrees. As I start back toward Bastila's side, I catch Juhani's eye. I don't know what to tell her, simply saying "I'll be fine."

She just regards me with her catlike eyes, finally giving me a small nod.

There's another pad for Bastila to get through waiting for us at the end of the hallway. She once again goes through the motions and enters her passcode, only to have "access denied" flash on the computer screen. "What?" she whispers, more to herself than anyone else.

I watch only for a moment as she begins fiddling with the pad, finally going to her side. "Bas, I think Malak probably deactivated your code, or something. We'll have to find a different way in."

She glares at the pad, sighing and turning to me. "And what do you suggest we do?"

I shrug, glancing at the door. A vague thought occurs to me, and I ignite my lightsaber as I walk over to the door, trying to plunge it through the metal and cut a hole big enough for us to climb through. The only damage I manage to do is create a lot of scorch marks and sparks.

Bastila gives me a smug smile when I look to her and shrug again. Together we look to the rest of our group, who all have blank stares on their faces.

"Uh... ion blaster?" Carth suggests, shrugging and holding up his pistol.

Canderous snorts. "That the best you got? I say yank off the panel and stick a pulse grenade in the wiring. Blow the damn thing to bits."

Carth rolls his eyes. "Yeah, that worked so well when Bastila did it. Nearly everyone around the explosion died. Thanks, but no thanks."

"Guys," I start to say, a warning tone in my voice. I don't want them squabbling while we're going off to do the biggest thing of our lives.

"Okay, fine, you pick," Carth retorts, looking between me and Canderous. "What should we do, Kat?"

"I personally think there's gotta be a better way." I cringe before the suggestion's out of my mouth; I know they're going to have a lot to say about that.

"Then got any ideas?" Canderous presses. "'Cause you haven't really added-"

"Wait," Bastila cries without warning, interrupting anything that we had been saying. "Hold on. Kat…" I turn and see an expression of deep thought on her face. The beginnings of a smile are at the corners of her mouth, and I can tell she's having an epiphany. Finally, she looks up. "Kat, come here. You try it."

I frown at her. "Why me? I haven't ever been here be-" I interrupt myself this time, my eyes going wide with realization. I _have_ been here before. That's how Malak and Revan amassed their fleet, by using the Star Forge as a factory and a hiding place from the Jedi… There's only one problem. "I don't know my passcode," I say softly, looking from the pad to Bastila.

Bastila grins. "No problem. Malak started using passcodes a few weeks before I got here. I guess there were too many people here or something. Malak himself doesn't have a passcode; he said something once about the Star Forge remembering him."

I walk over to the pad, staring at it. Is it really that easy? Only one way to find out. I press my palm to the pad. The entire hallway goes quiet, and I can just barely hear the computer working. After an antagonizingly long moment, there's a soft beep.

"Welcome, Revan," the tinny computer voice says as the door unlocks and slides open.

I pull my hand away from the pad, looking into the room Bastila called the control center. With just a glance, I can tell why. There, in the middle of the room, is a large 3D schematic. We all head closer, and I can see the Star Forge floating in the middle of the graphic, with thousands of Sith ships zipping around it.

Everyone's spellbound as we watch the ships fly around, and then Carth makes a soft noise.

"What?" I ask, not bothering to look away from the map.

"There, on the edge," he says, walking closer and pointing it out to us. "Republic ships."

I take a closer look and see that he's right. Studying the edges of the map, I see Republic war ships heading in from every direction, surrounding the Star Forge. Judging by the rate that they're appearing, the entire fleet will be here within another half hour.

"Well, I would say that we don't have much time." I catch everyone's eye and we all share a serious moment, knowing that we're running right into the lion's den.

I close my eyes and wish there was a save button; it'd be nice to be able to return to this point and try it all over if we fail. Alas, this isn't a game. I open my eyes again and look to Bastila, who merely points to a door on the east side of the chamber.

With a grim, and suddenly anxious nod, I turn and head for the door, my friends following in my wake.


	16. Chapter 16

AN: This is officially my longest chapter ever, by about 600 words! Woot for that!

I hope Malak is tough enough for you; I have a hard time writing fight scenes sometimes.

I'll talk more at the end. For now, read!

* * *

Bastila was right about there being a droid factory. The only problem was, it wasn't unused like she'd said. The moment the doors open, we're nearly flattened by all the droids trying to rush out and attack us.

Canderous pulls out an ion adaptor and screws it over the barrel of his blaster, starting to shoot at the droids. The extra ion damage proves to be too much for some of the droids, and they explode with the first shot. However, even with Canderous' advantage, for every droid we destroy, three more are created within the factory room.

"Anyone have any bright ideas?" I call out, hoping someone gets struck by inspiration and not one of the blaster bolts the droids are shooting at us.

"We obviously need to get inside there and shut down whatever's producing these," Carth responds with a grunt of agreement from Canderous.

"Use an ion grenade," Juhani pipes up. It's the first thing I remember her saying this entire time, but it's a good suggestion nonetheless. I guess everyone else is too busy trying to make sure they don't get killed to think straight.

"Who's got one?" I ask, shooting Juhani a grateful grin when I manage to catch her eye.

Naturally, Canderous does. He pulls one out of his pack and pulls the pin, gently rolling it into the droids' midst. "If I were you," he says, backing away slowly and dodging blaster bolts as he takes aim at the grenade. "I would get away."

Bastila and I destroy a few more droids, then jump away. I jump over the droids and into the room, while Bastila jumps back toward Canderous. A moment later, I hear the explosion as Canderous fires a blaster bolt into the grenade. The shock wave knocks me over, but that's all.

"Kat?!" Carth calls in unison with Bastila as the smoke clears from the doorway.

"I'm okay," I respond, picking myself up and looking around. I quickly locate the computer that I know must be running to prompt to spawn the droids, darting over toward it and beginning to hack into the interface.

I hear footsteps behind me as I struggle with the computer, knowing that droids are still being produced. "Cover me," I yell, working furiously. "I think I've almost got it!"

Almost immediately, the sounds of my friends destroying the droids becomes the only thing audible inside the factory. The smell of burned electrical wire wafts over to me, serving to distract me a little bit, but I focus on the panel in front of me. Finally, I bring up the list of active programs, isolate the one that's spawning the droids, and shut it down. Much to my surprise, the sound of the fighting stops, as well.

I turn around, sharing looks of surprise with my friends when I see that the droids have all stopped responding. I guess that the program not only stopped creating the droids, it also shut down their interfaces. I shrug at my companions, grateful for the reprieve. Any little bit of energy I don't have to expend is energy saved for my confrontation with Malak.

We all share a serious look, glancing down to the door on the far side of the room. It's the elevator. The final elevator before I go off to attempt to defeat the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"This is it," I say quietly.

Everyone nods at me, and Bastila looks at me, her gaze full of apprehension. I can tell she wants to fight with me and make sure that I don't get killed. But I love her too much; it would kill me if anything happened to her. I shake my head at her, reminding her of our earlier agreement through our bond.

We all head over to the elevator, climbing in and listening as the doors hiss shut. A second later, the car rumbles and begins its ascent.

The air is thick with tension. I'm amazed that we're still able to breathe, personally. I glance around at my friends, studying each person's face. Carth's jaw is set with determination, Canderous appears ready for a fight, Bastila looks as though she's trying to be brave for me, and Juhani just looks aware.

I take Bastila's hand and squeeze it gently. "Remember," I say aloud. "This is my fight. I don't want you guys getting hurt because of me. So, please, just stay back."

I can sense everyone's disagreement, but I don't care. So long as everyone makes it out of here, I'll be happy as a clam.

The elevator begins to slow, and I force my nervousness away as the doors slide open. As I've come to expect, there's a hallway in front of us, leading to a large door.

Wordlessly, we all walk out of the elevator, down the hallway, and up to the door. There's nothing to be said, and we all know it. I press my palm to the security panel, and the door slides open.

Malak's standing in the middle of the huge room we're in, his back to us. I motion that my friends stay behind as I begin taking those fateful steps toward Malak.

The distance between him and me seems extremely long, but altogether too short, all at once.

It's as if the world's moving in slow motion as I approach him. After an excruciatingly long moment, Malak turns around. A sneer is on his face as he draws his lightsaber.

I suddenly find I can't move. Either Malak's paralyzed me, or I'm just scared stiff. I realize it's the second one when instinct makes me grab for my lightsaber. In my haste, I manage to drop my lightsaber to the floor.

"Shit!" I scream, throwing myself out of Malak's way and roll onto my knees, pulling my lightsaber into my hand with the Force. Just as I ignite the blade, Malak's on top of me again. I barely manage to get my blade up in time to block his blow. The next blow I try to block, I'm not so lucky; his blade arcs down and catches my leg, cutting a sizeable chunk out of my thigh.

With a scream of pain, I feel myself topple to the ground. I close my eyes, knowing Malak's about to kill me. I can sense Bastila's resolve faltering as she tries to maintain her concentration; hearing my scream of anguish probably rattled and terrified her.

I hear a yowl that I know can only come from Juhani, and it sounds like a battle cry to me. Dread immediately pumps through me. _No no no no no!_ I scream inwardly, vocalizing it when I see open my eyes and Juhani jump into battle in front of me.

"Don't!" I scream at her, struggling to my feet and trying to distract Malak so she won't get hurt. Before I can say anything else, I see Malak's crimson blade plunge into and through my friend's body. Her eyes go wide, she makes a soft little gasp, and when Malak pulls his lightsaber out of her body, she slumps to the floor.

I stand there in shocked silence, sensing Juhani's spirit become one with the Force. She's gone. She gave her life for mine…

Malak takes one look at my expression and bursts out laughing. The mere sound grates on my nerves fills me with hatred. How can he _laugh_?! He's just murdered someone!

Just as suddenly as Malak started, he stops laughing again, whirling his lightsaber around himself in what I guess is an attempt to scare me. Whee, swordsmanship. I roll my eyes and lunge at him, our blades colliding with a shower of sparks. My anger toward him is what's fueling my attacks, and strangely, I seem to be making progress. I know Bastila can't be helping me; it's too much work to use her Battle Meditation to aid an entire army.

Malak starts looking tired and weaker. I can't help but grin; I've almost got him. I back him up against a bacta tank, our blades still crashing and colliding.

Malak sneers at me when he notices we're standing by the bacta tank, using the Force to shove me backward. As I slump to the floor, I watch him break open the tank, sickened when I see that there's a body inside.

"You see this, Revan?" Malak asks, levitating the body in the air between us. "This was a Jedi. The only difference between this one and your little friend," he explains, nodding at Juhani's corpse, "is that I have not let this one become one with the Force. I can feed off his power, keeping myself alive indefinitely." He laughs, and then focuses on the Jedi body in the air.

I crawl to my feet, being careful of my leg as I watch Malak. The Jedi hovering in front of him begins to shrivel and crumple, finally drying out completely and falling to the floor. It shatters on contact, the pieces turning into dust. There's nothing but horror rushing through me, and I look up at Malak to see him standing tall and looking stronger than he had when we first arrived.

"Shit," I breathe, noticing for the first time that there's nearly twenty of the bacta tanks scattered around the large room, each with a Jedi body inside. If he can regain all his strength by draining one body, he'll be invincible. Unless…

Before I can complete my thought, Malak rushes over and attacks me again. My arms shake as I push against him, the strain almost too much. I was right back on the _Leviathan_; he's almost all muscle.

Apparently, Malak realizes that my friends are my weakness. He uses the Force to throw me across the room, pulling Canderous toward him. I wonder for a moment why he doesn't take Bastila, but the thought disappears from my mind as Canderous cries out in pain.

"**That's it**!!!" I yell, climbing to my feet. I'm so furious I'm shaking. "Malak, you bastard!!" My hatred of the monster in front of my consumes my senses, and I want nothing more than to kill him. Slowly, perhaps, so he might feel some of the pain he's wrought on the galaxy, and all the people that he's killed.

As my anger and hatred pump through me, I feel a surge of power start overtaking me. The icy, malevolent feeling starts in my fingertips and toes, running up my limbs until I've been completely filled by it. The wound on my leg heals almost instantaneously, and I feel stronger and more powerful than I can ever remember feeling before. My skin starts feeling tighter, especially across my face, and the world seems to come into a clearer focus. The air of the Star Forge doesn't feel as evil anymore; it feels more… homey. Like I belong.

Malak notices the change in me and stares, Canderous slipping from his grip. My Mandalorian friend crawls away, gasping for breath.

I give Canderous a push with the Force, sending him to Carth's side. Before Malak can hurt anyone else, I throw up a barrier with the Force, protecting my friends from any harm. Then I start toward Malak, scowling at him as a little voice in the back of my mind yells at me, telling me I've given in to the dark side. I ignore the voice, ready to end Malak's existence.

The corner's of Malak's eyes crinkle with a sneer. "Ah, Revan, I see you've started to see things my way. Welcome back to the dark side."

The last word I would use to describe his expression would be welcoming, but whatever floats his boat. "Shut it, Malak! It's time for you to die!"

Malak laughs as I slash my lightsaber toward him, blocking it easily. His sneer fades a little when he realizes that I'm stronger than I was a few moments ago.

We fight back and forth for a few minutes, slowly hacking away at each other's stamina. Finally, Malak finds it necessary to paralyze me with the Force so he can run off and drain the rest of the life force from a half dead Jedi corpse.

Along with the boosted strength came boosted willpower. I break free of the stasis a mere three seconds after Malak casts it, watching as he runs toward the bacta tank of his choice. The shadow of a thought I'd had after he drained the first Jedi returns full force, a wonderful prospect presenting itself.

After Malak drained the first body, I'd noticed that the bacta tank holding it had exploded. Wouldn't the explosion make the body unusable? I glance over at a row of three bacta tanks, sneering at them before rushing over to them. There's only one way to find out…

I find the power conduit on the back of one of the tanks, plunging my lightsaber through it. The tank explodes, and the other two tanks are quick to follow. I can hear Malak draining the body of the Jedi he's chosen in the background, not paying much attention. I do a quick count of the remaining bacta tanks, counting fifteen. That's fifteen more times Malak can replenish his strength.

For a moment, I consider draining a body myself, suddenly craving the energy boost. Almost immediately, a part of me decides not to, and I know I'd regret not being able to kill Malak on my own if I did.

I hurry over to the next bank of tanks, quickly destroying them, too. Only twelve more tanks, but there's no time for that now. Malak runs over and throws himself at me, locking our blades in combat once more.

As we fight, I realize why the Jedi and Sith Masters always take off their outer robes to fight; sure, it increases their range of motion a little, but it also keeps them cooler. I'm sweating, but I guess that's to be expected; we've been fighting for what feels like hours.

It's thanks to my change of sides that I'm avoiding so many blows. With the dark side comes enhanced abilities; I'm faster and more dexterous than I was before.

"Do you realize how many people you've killed?" I hiss at him, blinking sweat out of my eyes. "And for no reason??"

Malak sneers, shrugging a shoulder as he dances around my attack. "Why should that matter?! I'm the most powerful person in the entire galaxy!"

"You're forgetting something," I remind him, my blade connecting with his arm, neatly severing it. "I was Revan, your old Master."

Malak scowls and growls at me, repaying me for his arm with a kick to my chest. "Even you use the past tense. Despite your return to the dark side, you still don't reclaim your old title!"

I notice him getting more and more tired, knowing it's partly because he doesn't have his arm to help him guide his blade. He glances over toward a bank of the bacta tanks, but I beat him to that idea. I send a pulse of Force Lightning toward the tanks, efficiently shorting them out and causing an explosion.

The deck rumbles beneath us, nearly causing me to lose my footing.

Malak looks startled, and I sneer at him. "Surprise! The Republic army is outside, breaking through your defenses. Soon the Star Forge will be nothing more than a cloud of space dust!"

Anger flows over Malak's features, and he roars at me, neatly blocking a swift jab of mine before locking our blades together.

I grunt, pushing against his blade as hard as I can. My muscles shudder and shake as we fight against each other. After what seems like forever, I yell in frustration and Malak's blade slips down, slicing through my side. I scream in pain, and Malak tries to hurry away to the other bacta tanks.

I notice before he can get anywhere, reaching out my hand and destroying the remaining banks of bacta tanks. Malak stops dead in his tracks, turning slowly to look at me. On his face are a mix of incomprehensible rage and fear.

Triumph rushes through me, even though I haven't won yet. He's afraid, and that shows that I've got him over a barrel.

"Revan," he starts to say, but I don't let him continue.

"It's over, Malak. You've lost," I tell him, walking toward him ever so slowly, favoring my wounded side. The Star Forge rumbles again, a little more violently this time. I repress a shudder; the Republic army has found their target. We don't have too much more time. I guess I don't get to make any long, inspiring speeches or anything.

"It may be over, but I will not lose," Malak snaps, sending a storm of Force Lightning at me.

I bring my lightsaber up and let the blade absorb the energy, the handle heating up rapidly. I grit my teeth against the pain as the hilt begins to burn my hand.

After a few more moments, Malak gives up with his Force attack, looking weary. I can see defeat in his eyes, and he opens his mouth to speak. Before he can, I throw my lightsaber with the Force, and it hurtles toward him, lodging itself in his chest. His next actions are reminiscent of Juhani's death: his eyes go wide, he takes his last breath, and falls to the ground, almost in slow motion.

I pull my lightsaber out of his chest, catching it and switching it off before dropping to my knees on the deck. I'm gasping for breath, triumph and malice flowing through my veins. I lower the barrier I'd put up around my friends, only partially aware I've done so.

"Kat?" Bastila calls uncertainly, her footsteps coming up behind me.

I'm suddenly somber. The only thing left to do to save the galaxy is destroy the Star Forge.

"Kat, are you all right?" Bastila repeats, coming and crouching at my side. I know she can sense that I've fallen, and I don't really care. I feel her heal my side with the Force, closing my eyes for a moment.

"I'm fine," I respond softly. "I'm fine."

Without further ado, I rise to my feet, cradling my burned hand awkwardly. Bastila notices that, too, and her fingers skim my palm. The ache in my hand ceases immediately.

The Star Force shakes ominously, and I turn to meet Carth and Canderous' eyes, both of whom have walked over to stand with us.

"It's over," I say finally. "He's dead."

Everyone but Bastila nods. Said woman is watching me uneasily, obviously trying to figure out what to do.

"The only thing left to do is destroy the Star Forge." I take a deep breath before continuing. "Someone get Juhani, and get out of here. All of you."

"But," Carth begins, his brow furrowed. "What about you?"

Canderous' expression mirrors Carth's, but he doesn't say anything, just watches me curiously.

"I'm staying behind," I say softly. "Someone has to help the Republic, and I think it should be me. I'll go into the Star Forge and destroy it from the inside out."

"No!" Bastila cries, reaching for and grabbing my arms. She shakes me gently, staring right into my eyes. "Kat, don't do this. Please." Her piercing gray eyes bore into my soul and it's all I can do to avoid looking away.

"I have to," I whisper.

She shakes her head firmly. "You don't. The Republic fleet can manage it fine. Come with us, please. I'll save you from this darkness if it kills me. I love you too much to let anything happen to you now."

A wave of love washes over me, but I'm not going to let it get to me. I cup her cheeks in my hands, kissing her softly. I relish the feeling of her lips against mine, memorizing it forever. Before she can break away from me, I use the Force and knock her out. She sags in my arms and goes limp.

"She's okay," I say when Carth starts toward her, alarm written all across his features. "I knocked her out. Get her out of here, and make sure everyone else gets out of here, too. Too many people have died for this."

Canderous sets his jaw and kneels to pick up Bastila, easily lifting her limp form. Carth, meanwhile, gapes at me.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asks finally. "It's over. Bastila's right; the fleet can handle this. Let's just get out of here. All of us."

"No," I say, anger flaring up in the pit of my stomach. "I have to do this!"

Carth starts for me, a frown beginning to form on his face.

The next thing I know, he's sprawled on the floor clutching his jaw, and my fist is still raised. Shock immediately turns my blood into ice. I've just hit my best friend and knocked out the love of my life because they're trying to save me. A little voice of reason pops up in the back of my head, telling me that Carth's right. The fleet _can _handle this.

The icy feeling that had filled me when I'd fallen slowly disappears, being replaced with the warmth of life. The skin that had tightened before loosens now, and my vision becomes brighter. Peace overtakes me, and I know in that moment the dark side is gone from within me.

I turn my gaze upon the unconscious face of Bastila, and feel more guilty than I ever have before. I turn to Carth and drop to my knees at his side. "I'm sorry!" I cry, helping him sit up. "I'm sorry! I… I didn't--"

Carth cuts me off with a wave of his hand. "It's okay," he says with a wince, rubbing his jaw gently. After a moment he turns his gaze on me. "Are you coming with us or not?"

I nod seriously, hugging him quickly. "I'm sorry," I say again, getting to my feet and extending a hand to Carth.

He takes my hand and gets to his feet as well. He doesn't have time to say anything before the station shudders underneath our feet again. Carth catches my arm to keep his balance, helping me stay standing at the same time.

"Let's go," he and I say at the same time. He hurries over and picks up Juhani's lifeless body, following Canderous and I as we hurry back toward the elevator.

We all run harder than we ever have in our lives to get back to the _Ebon Hawk_. The elevators seem to speed up, and I can't tell if it's because we're all hyped up on adrenaline or if the Star Forge can sense the dire situation and is helping us somehow.

The shaking and rumbling in the Star Forge gets more intense the closer we get to the _Ebon Hawk_. I pray that we'll make it in time to get away safely.

Things are starting to fall from the ceiling as we race back into the hangar where the _Hawk_ is waiting. Canderous hands Bastila off to me, and hurries onto the ship and into the cockpit. Almost immediately, I hear the engines power up.

Carth is right behind me as we board the ship, and he quickly takes Juhani's body into the cargo bay before going to take Canderous' place.

I take Bastila to the dorm, gently laying her on her bed and kissing her forehead. With that, I head back out of the dorm, going to raise the loading ramp. The moment I hear the hydraulics of the ramp start working, I head to the commons area.

Mission races over and hugs me before I even get halfway into the room, and I hear Zaalbar growling a welcome. Jolee claps me on the shoulder, and I hear Carth grumbling from the cockpit. A tired smile graces my features. Everyone's safe.

Then my heart skips a beat. I scan the ship for Canderous' presence and find nothing.

"Where's Canderous?!" I say, aware that my voice is a little louder than I mean for it to be. Mission, Jolee, and Zaalbar all share a glance before shrugging.

"Canderous!" I yell, turning around and racing through the ship, looking for any sign of my friend. He's nowhere to be found. I must have shut him out when I raised the ramp… I head back to the commons area defeatedly as I hear the faint sound of a far off explosion outside the _Ebon Hawk_. The Star Forge is gone, and I don't care. I sink onto one of the couches in the commons, burying my face in my hands. "He's gone," I mumble to no one in particular.

Mission and Jolee come and sit on either side of me, both of them trying to comfort me.

"He died with honor," Jolee says, rubbing my shoulder gently. "It's what he would have wanted."

Mission doesn't know what to say, it's obvious by her expression. "I'm sorry," she says finally.

I sigh. "Damnit. First Juhani, and now--"

There's a beep from the computer, signaling an incoming transmission.

"Guess who just saved the most beautiful G-wing in the galaxy?" Canderous' voice fills the room. I jump up and rush over to the computer, reading the signal. Sure enough, it's coming from Bastila's G-wing.

"Ordo?" I call uncertainly, hardly able to believe it's him.

"Yes, dear?" he responds playfully. I can tell he's smiling by the tone of his voice.

I sag against the computer, a relieved smile growing on my face as tears spring to my eyes. "Don't you ever do that again," I tell him seriously. "Or I'll have to kill you."

"Fine," he whines. "Where are you guys planning on landing?"

I quickly relay the question to Carth, who decides the alien planet would be as good as anywhere.

"See you there, then," Canderous replies when I tell him Carth's answer. He cuts the transmission and I turn around to face my friends, my smile still in place.

There's the sound of footsteps rushing up the hallway, and Bastila rushes into the room, her eyes wide with alarm. I can sense that she's terrified that I've been destroyed along with the Star Forge, but the feeling fades when she sees me.

Tears fill her eyes and she launches herself toward me, throwing her arms around me and hugging me tightly. I know she knows I'm not dark side anymore, and I hug her back just as warmly.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

"I love you so much," Bastila sobs into my shoulder, holding me like she'll die if she lets go.

"I love you more," I tease her gently, kissing her cheek. She pulls her face out of my shoulder and kisses me, and I'm in heaven.

When we break apart, she stares up at me for a moment, then laughs happily before hugging me again. I grin, closing my eyes and relishing every second. Finally, everything seems right with the galaxy. No more bad guys, no more dark side, just me and Bastila. And that, I decide as I lean down to kiss her again, is just how it should be.

* * *

And that's the end of the actual story. Never fear, there is an epilogue!! =]  
Hopefully I'll have that up by Tuesday-ish.

Thank you to everyone who stuck around and read this! I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. =] This was largely an experiment to see if I could manage to write in present tense, and I think I like how it turned out. It was fun!

A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, because your words kept me going. Which is something I'm sure you appreciated. :P

And with that, I will end the AN. =]

Have a great day!


	17. Epilogue

AN: Here it is. The final part of The Party. What a bittersweet moment. =]

Announcement at the bottom!

Enjoy!

* * *

I walk into the large room filled with people, fidgeting in the dress I'm wearing. I hate dresses. I sigh and cast my gaze to the ceiling, silently praying that I'll make it through this evening. With that over, I scan the crowd, beginning to make my way through the throngs of people.

Why we're having a party, I don't know. Carth said it had something to do with the big cheeses wanting to get together and congratulate each other on beating Malak. I don't really see the thrill, myself. People died to save everyone else. We should be thanking and remembering them, not congratulating each other on a 'job well done.'

I take a moment to send a silent thank-you to Juhani, glancing over as the crowd parts, doing a double take as I see Mission and Zaalbar entertaining a group of children and adults alike with tales of their time on Taris and our adventures together. A smile crosses my face as I watch their interaction, and I start to feel a nearly overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

I look across the room to see Carth standing with a few high ranking officers, no doubt telling them stories about our travels. And Canderous is not far away, his eyes alight as he regales anyone who will listen with his old war stories. Jolee's somewhere in between them, talking with a few older Jedi whose names I forget, most likely catching up and reminiscing about days gone by.

I turn as a the crowd seems to shift again, and locate the one crewmember unaccounted for. Bastila. I start toward her, wishing she would look up and meet my eye. She's busy, however, getting herself a cup of punch.

I grin as I close the distance between us, altering my course ever so slightly and heading for the punch bowl. Why not take the déjà vu to the max? I step up to the table and get myself a glass of punch, alerting Bastila to the fact that I'm here and making a big show of not noticing my beautiful girlfriend.

I take an overdramatic sip of my drink, turning and feigning surprise to see Bastila. She laughs at me, even more so when I choke on the innocent looking drink and start coughing then start trying to hide it. I glare at her through watery eyes, grinning sheepishly at the partygoers around me that give me displeased looks.

"It went down the wrong tube," I croak lamely, deciding not to mention that I hadn't been expecting the taste of alcohol. I turn back to Bastila before anyone can say anything, amused as I see her trying to stifle her laughter.

"I think Canderous spiked it again," I whisper to her, discreetly setting my glass down between two punch bowls.

Bastila manages to speak, but she can't wipe the grin off her face. She shakes her head, pointing at the punch bowl I hadn't gotten my drink out of. "There's two bowls, Kat. One's alcoholic and one's not," she explains, pointing to little labels at the back of the bowls.

"Oh." I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment, grabbing a fresh glass and getting some punch from the nonalcoholic bowl. I take a wary sip, pleased to taste nothing but fruit.

Bastila giggles at my caution, regarding me with her beautiful gray eyes. "I love you," she tells me, her grin still firmly in place. "And you look pretty."

I give her a mock indignant look. "'Pretty'?! I'm standing here in a dress--a once in a lifetime sight--and all you can say is that I look pretty?!" I grin and stick my tongue out at her.

"Fine," Bastila concedes, rolling her eyes at me. "You're gorgeous. Better?"

I lean toward her and press a quick kiss to her cheek. "Much. And you don't look so bad yourself."

She grins and pulls me into a full fledged kiss, laughing when we break apart and see a few people staring at us.

Before she can say anything, someone whistles loudly, successfully getting everyone's attention. We all turn to see who it is, and I'm surprised to see Carth climbing up on a chair. He looks at the crowd, his eyes meeting mine for a moment.

"I think it's time for toasts," he says, raising his glass.

Bastila and I raise our glasses, just as everyone else in the room does.

"I wish you all had had the opportunity I had. I've made some amazing friends in the past year, and even though we bonded under pressure and circumstances no one should have to be under, I'm glad I met them." He raises his glass a little higher, looking around the room and meeting the eyes of all the _Ebon Hawk_'s crew. "You all are some of the strangest, most stubborn, and downright remarkable people I've ever met." Carth bows his head to all of us. "I'm honored to have met you all. To the crew of the _Ebon Hawk_!"

The crowd all takes a sip of their drinks, politely remaining quiet as Carth jumps off the chair as they wait to see if someone else will make a toast.

Admiral Dodonna is the next to get up and make a toast. I don't really listen; the first words out of her mouth are about the steadfast Republic army and their 'true grit and determination'. We all drink to whatever Dodonna toasts, then wait for the next speaker.

When no one moves to make a toast, I get struck by sudden inspiration. Without warning, I start heading for the chair, briefly wondering why we didn't just rent a podium. I have a feeling I'll fall over trying to get up on that chair in this getup.

Somehow I get up on the chair without falling off or spilling my drink. I turn to face the crowd, swallowing and trying to sort out what I'm going to say. "Um… hi. I can tell you right off the bat that I'm not going to be as eloquent or smart-sounding as everyone else, but I really do mean what I'm about to say.

"During this journey, we all… we got to really find out what we're made of. We all got sick and tired of the entire prospect of fighting Malak from time to time, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that considered disappearing." I grin at the crowd, and get a few smiles in return. "Like Carth said, we all got really close. We're like a family now, all six of us. We all needed each other to get through the hard times.

"But, there's someone missing now. There used to be seven in our 'family,' but Juhani gave her life to save everyone else's. I watched my friend die on the Star Forge," I say quietly, and there's no doubt in my mind that everyone in the room hears me. "I think too many people forget the losses that we take in order to gain something. The people that die aren't just numbers on a chart. They were real living, breathing beings that had real emotions and real lives outside of battle. They laughed, they cried, they loved, and believed in something enough that they were willing to die for it. So, this is for all the people that died in our quest to defeat Malak. Thank you," I say solemnly, lifting my glass into the air and closing my eyes for a moment. _Thank you, Juhani, _I mentally whisper, knowing that I'm forever in her debt.

The room remains silent until I open my eyes again, and then people start applauding.

I feel heat rising up my neck and smile at the crowd, my eyes going to the other side of the room to meet Bastila's. She's got tears in her eyes and a smile on her face as she applauds for me. "I love you," she mouths to me, wiping a stray tear off her cheek.

I start to climb down from our makeshift pedestal, a sudden thought occurring to me. I immediately get back up on the chair, raising my glass once more.

"Not to be selfish and take up all the toasting time," I say with a grin, getting a laugh from my audience. "But I have one more person to toast." My smile widens when I see confusion on Bastila's face. "This person had been there for me our entire journey, and it was because of her that I made it through. She was the entire reason I kept going when I didn't feel like I had any energy left. I've never met anyone so amazing and perfect in all my life. To Bastila, the woman I love with every fiber of my being."

There's a few 'aww's and a wolf whistle from Canderous' direction, but there's also another small smattering of applause. I jump down off of the chair and manage to stick the landing, making my way back toward my very embarrassed girlfriend.

"Kat, I swear," she starts to say, but I cut her off with a gentle kiss.

"What was that you were going to say?" I tease her breathlessly when we break apart, taking her hand and squeezing it warmly.

She sticks her tongue out at me, grinning contentedly.

I take a sip of my punch, glancing back at Bastila a moment later. Something seems off in her expression, because it looks different than it did a second ago. She reaches out and takes the punch from my hand, setting it on the table beside us before squeezing my hand and leading me out of the room, making the excuse to the few onlookers that we need to talk.

I can't help but laugh at the lustful look in her eyes as she pulls me into our nearby apartment, toward the bedroom, her lips meeting mine again seconds later. Very soon, we're both naked, and kissing wildly. Soft moans and whimpers fill my ears, and I smile, loving that I can make Bastila make those sounds.

She whimpers again, then yells my name when I take her to her climax.

_..-=*^*=-.._..-=*^*=-.._

After what seems like too short a time, she's lying cuddled in my arms, her head on my chest. Her skin feels so soft and warm against mine that I have no trouble relaxing and snuggling closer to her. "I love you," I mumble into her hair, shivering slightly as she traces lazy patterns on my stomach.

"I love you, too," she responds sleepily, tilting her head up to kiss me.

I sigh happily when we break apart, pulling her a little closer to me. "Thank you," I whisper after a moment, not sure if she's still awake.

"What for?" she asks, sounding half-asleep as she wraps her arms around me gently.

"For loving me, saving my life, keeping me strong… Everything, I guess." I kiss her again tenderly, making sure I put as much pure love as I possibly can into the kiss.

"You're welcome," she answers breathlessly a moment later, sounding more than a little embarrassed. "… You realize you've done the exact same for me, don't you?"

I nuzzle my nose against hers, unable to stop the smile that's growing on my face. "I'd hoped I had." The happiness that's settled in the pit of my stomach begins to change, and I begin to get anxious.

Trying not to disturb the perfect woman in my arms, I reach toward my nightstand and slide open the drawer quietly. I reach into the drawer and close my fingers around the small, velvet covered box.

"Bas?" I call, wincing at the nervous tone of my voice.

Bastila sighs, sounding almost exasperated as I rouse her for the third time. "What is it now?" she asks quietly, nestling her head further into my shoulder.

I close my eyes and swallow, hoping and praying I have one more speech left in me. "I love you," I tell her, calming myself down a little.

"I love you, too," she murmurs cautiously, sounding a little more awake. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I respond, almost too quickly. "I just… Um…"

"Kat," Bastila says, shifting to where she can look me in the eye.

I open my mouth and start talking to make sure she won't worm it out of me before I can say it. "I don't know who'll do it, or if anyone will do it, especially since we're Jedi, but we can always keep looking until we find someone or something…" I cringe inwardly as I realize I'm rambling, forcing myself to shut up.

I can see the expression on Bastila's face thanks to the moonlight shining in the window, and my heart warms at the sight. She looks beautiful, even though she's obviously completely confused and a little worried. "Sorry," I say, sighing. "Let me try that again."

She nods, still looking bemused.

"I love you, Bastila, and I think you're the most amazing person I've ever met. I don't know if anyone'll even try to help us actually get it done, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I, um…" My voice fails me, and I decide it's better to trail off into silence rather than start stammering again. Instead, I show her the little box in my hand.

Bastila shoots up, sitting bolt upright. Her eyes are suddenly wide and her mouth is hanging open. I can sense her surprise through our bond, and my heart starts pounding again. I still can't find my voice, so I crack the box open and show her the ring inside. I spent thousands of credits on the ring, but I didn't care. It's beautiful, and something that I'd love to see on Bastila's finger…

"Marry me?" I ask simply, sitting up beside her and watching her nervously.

"Kat," she breathes, staring at the ring, then at me. Tears fill her eyes, and I swallow nervously. Then there's the sound of the most beautiful word in the universe…

"Yes," she whispers, a smile appearing on her face and threatening to split it in two.

The relief that flows through me is quickly replaced with joy, and I laugh happily, opening my arms to my beautiful fiancée.

"Yes, yes, absolutely yes!" she cries, throwing herself into my arms and hugging me tightly. We share a wildly happy kiss before I break away from her and pull the ring out of the box, slipping it onto her finger.

The degree of joy on her face is the most wonderful thing I've ever seen, I decide as I kiss her again.

_..-=*^*=-.._..-=*^*=-.._

Not even a month later, Bastila and I lean in and share the first kiss of our married lives to the cheers of all our friends. Newly promoted Admiral Carth Onasi performs the service and looks on with a smile as Bastila and I share an ecstatically happy look.

My wife and I (it feels so amazing to say that) turn to face our meager crowd, our smiles saying it all.

In attendance are all our crewmates from the _Ebon Hawk._ Jolee is applauding with a reminiscent smile on his face. He'd told me he'd been invited to rejoin the Jedi Council, but turned it down, saying he wanted to spend some time traveling the galaxy.

Mission is laughing happily, applauding harder than Jolee. She's been busy earning money playing Pazaak, and confided to me recently that she's still not sure what she wants to do with her life.

Zaalbar is the new chieftain on Kashyyyk, but found the time to come and attend our ceremony, and is growling proudly. I make a mental note to thank him for attending later.

Canderous is leaning against a wall, a smirk on his grizzled face. I have a feeling he won't admit to it, but I think he's happy that Bastila and I got together for more than just his entertainment. I bet behind his big, tough jokester Mandalorian façade, he's probably a big old teddy bear.

Bastila let Canderous keep the G-wing, and I have a feeling he's going to treasure it forever. He nearly teared up when she told him, and I bet that's the first hug he's given anyone in years.

I turn and catch Carth's eye, mouthing a thank you to him. I'd told him about our predicament; Bastila and I had had a hard time finding anyone to perform our ceremony. We were lesbians, first of all, but we were also Jedi. Those weren't exactly great qualifications, to say the least. The moment Carth found out about his promotion, however, he offered to perform our wedding. Is it any wonder he's my best friend?

Finally, I catch Bastila's eye and grin. We hurry to the door, hand-in-hand. Outside, there's a ship waiting for us to take us on our honeymoon. I don't know where we're going; Bastila planned that part. But, I don't really care, either. So long as I've got Bastila, I'll be okay. And if the fateful words we just exchanged mean anything, I'll have her for the rest of my life. Thank the Force for happy endings.

* * *

Well.... that was it. =]  
I know a few of you probably didn't like the ending, but that's what my fingers wrote, so that's what it is. :P

Yes, well, moving on.

Announcement! [whether or not anyone cares, I'm just throwing it out here]  
With this posting, I have decided that I will not be posting anything any time soon; I need a break from writing, plain and simple. So, this will be the last you will hear from me for a while. I may or may not post one story in the Harry Potter fandom, but at the moment, that's not looking too promising.

So, thank you to all my readers, it's been a pleasure.

Have an amazing day!


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